The Old Vicarage School was established in 1933 as an independent, fee paying day school for boys and girls. Today the Old Vicarage School welcomes pupils aged between 3 and 11 years.
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. 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.
School Grounds
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 all 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 wonderful, 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!
Darley Abbey
The World Heritage Site of Darley Abbey provides a wonderful location for the school. We also make use of a number of excellent facilities off–site around beautiful Darley Abbey, 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.
Darley Park and the River Derwent offer all year round open spaces to enjoy many outdoor activities.
