The Old Vicarage School was established in 1933 as an independent, fee paying day school for boys and girls. The school is a family run business, acquired by the Adshead family in August 2007. Matthew and Jenny Adshead are the sole and current proprietors and their children attended the school. Today the Old Vicarage School welcomes pupils aged between 3 and 11 years.
Located in the World Heritage Site of Darley Abbey, the building is steeped in local history with connections to the Evans and Strutt families, both prominent in the Belper and Derby areas and at the Mills on the river in the centre of Darley Abbey. Prior to 1933 the beautiful, late Victorian building was used as the Vicarage for St Matthew’s Church. The School celebrated its 75th Anniversary in 2008, 80th in 2013 and 85th in 2018. Many events and a very special luncheon for some of the original pupils from the 1930s and 1940s took place.
On entering the school from Church Lane one is struck immediately by the safe seclusion of the environment. The many varied trees and shrubs provide an enviable rural beauty yet within a mile of the City Centre. The school grounds are extremely well tended and extensive enough to afford all children opportunities for a full range of organised games and general recreational activities. The all weather astro turf provides a great break time space and can host football, netball and sports activities throughout the year. Tennis and Netball are also played on the court adjacent to the open lawns. The former Conservatory is now used as a further resource for nursery activities, assemblies, drama, gymnastics, choir and orchestra ensembles and a plethora of engaging after school activities such as ballet, karate, speech and drama, amongst others. In the warmer weather we even have our own Pizza Shack, which produces mouthwatering Pizza takeaways for families on a Friday evening!
We also make use of a number of excellent facilities off –site, which include Derby Rugby Club, Darley Abbey Cricket Club, Woodlands Community Swimming Pool, Belper Hockey Club, Willows Sports Centre, Allestree Woodlands Theatre, and St Matthew’s Church for various activities and events.
