School life at OVS is vibrant and varied. There is much to absorb and these pages will give you an insight into daily school life and the infrastructure that will support your child here, from catering, clubs, activities and wraparound care, to our pastoral care, child wellbeing and how you can become involved in the OVS community.
The Old Vicarage School is in the leafy suburb of Darley Abbey, just a mile from the City Centre, postcode DE22 1EW. The school is a red-brick Edwardian building with its own Gruffalo Woods, school gardens, tennis court, multi-use games area (MUGA) and gardening area. There are excellent transport links from the A38, A6 and A61.
Children join the OVS Nursery Class from the September after their third birthday. Pupils leave OVS at the end of Year 6 to go on to a local secondary school or continue to go on to a local secondary school or continue to an independent senior school. We are proud of our 100% success rate in securing places at first-choice schools in the independent sector, often with scholarships.
Our maximum class size is 18. This ensures close, personal attention for each pupil and also provides a good social foundation and ability to play team sports.
We are the only family run school in Derby. We recruit loving staff who care for each child as if they were their own, whilst also being very ambitious for them. We are non-selective and focus on each child achieving their personal best. As a small preparatory school, your child will be known and seen as an individual by all members of the staff team, from Head of School to ancillary support. This builds children’s confidence and helps them grow into well-rounded individuals.
Children receive a fantastic foundation in our Early Years department, which boasts a strong mix of free play and specialist teaching in French, PE and Music. Phonics and Mathematics are part of every day, whether taking place in the classroom, woodland or school gardens. Our Nursery and Reception classes take part in whole school events throughout the year and also form bonds with older children through our pastoral house system and weekly assemblies. They truly grow as a family throughout their years at OVS and this forms strong bonds and confidence for their future education.
Breakfast Club opens at 7.30am for families who need an earlier start, and can be booked in advance through the School Office. School gates open at 8.10am, when children go to their classrooms for Morning Studies, and registration is at 8.35am.
The school day ends at 3.15pm for Nursery and Reception, and at 3.30pm for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, with an optional Prep session from 3.30pm to 4pm that is included in the school fees. Children can also stay later for clubs and activities, and our Abbey Club then runs until 6pm, where children can play, relax and enjoy a light tea. For details, including times and charges, see our Wraparound Care page.
We offer a broad and varied range of clubs, giving children the chance to try as many different activities as possible. Some are run by OVS staff and others by specialist organisations who visit the school. Some clubs, such as Drama, Chess and Karate, continue from term to term so children can build their skills over time, while others change with the seasons and the wishes of the pupils. You can see more on our Clubs & Activities page, or contact the School Office for details.
