Best Schools in High Peak

How many schools are there in High Peak?

High Peak has 15 open schools: 11 state primary, 2 state secondary or all-through, 1 special and 1 other.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Are there any Outstanding schools in High Peak?

None of the 14 graded schools in High Peak currently holds an Outstanding rating. 11 are rated Good, so 79% are Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in High Peak get the best GCSE results?

Of the 2 schools in High Peak with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Chapel-en-le-Frith High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 48.9 and 48% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and New Mills School, with an Attainment 8 score of 48.5 and 47% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Chapel-en-le-Frith High SchoolNew Mills School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in High Peak have the best SATs results?

Of the 11 primary schools in High Peak with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Furness Vale Primary and Nursery School (93% in reading, 86% in maths); Taxal and Fernilee CofE Primary School (88% in reading, 88% in maths); and St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy (90% in reading, 75% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Furness Vale Primary and Nursery SchoolTaxal and Fernilee CofE Primary SchoolSt Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in High Peak?

No. None of the state secondary schools in High Peak selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in High Peak have catchment areas?

Most state schools in High Peak have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, Derbyshire allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in High Peak?

Apply to Derbyshire through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.