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Schools across Derbyshire

Local authority · 454 schools across 43 towns

New inspection results and open days, weekly by email.

Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days

Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Derbyshire (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.

Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days

Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Derbyshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.

Year 7 dates to calendar Reception dates to calendarHow to apply in Derbyshire →

Schools in Derbyshire (454)

Showing 20 of 454 schools

Total Schools

454

354 primary · 45 secondary

Total Pupils

108,016

88% capacity used

Ofsted Rated

136

10 outstanding · 126 good

Capacity

123,437

15,421 spare places

Ofsted Ratings

126
315
Outstanding: 10
Good: 126
Requires Improvement: 3
Not inspected: 315

Best Schools in Derbyshire

View the full league table - ranked by Ofsted, Progress 8, KS2 results and more

Area Performance (2026)

Attainment 8

40.1

GCSE Eng+Maths

38.1%

School Capacity

Primary Schools

83% full
57,315 pupils68,763 capacity

11,448 spare places

Secondary Schools

94% full
45,602 pupils48,532 capacity

2,930 spare places

Pupil Absence

Avg Overall Absence

5.7%

2024/25

Avg Persistent Absence

12.8%

2024/25

Schools Reporting

390

2024/25

Absence trend across Derbyshire schools

4.3%
18/19
3.9%
20/21
6.9%
21/22
6.2%
22/23
6.2%
23/24
5.7%
24/25

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Average across all open schools in this LA.

EHCP Timeliness

Issued Within 20 Weeks

5%

Plans Issued

1,472

Assessment Requests

2,682

Tribunal Cases

335

EHCP timeliness trend (% issued within 20 weeks)

50%
2019
73%
2020
87%
2021
31%
2022
23%
2023
36%
2024
5%
2025

Source: DfE EHCP timeliness statistics. Shows how quickly this LA issues Education, Health and Care Plans.

Admission Appeals

2026 admission appeals by school phase

Primary

10,894 admissions

161

Lodged

(1.5%)

108

Heard

13

Successful

(12%)

Primary (infant classes)

7,698 admissions

105

Lodged

(1.4%)

70

Heard

1

Successful

(1%)

Secondary

8,975 admissions

219

Lodged

(2.4%)

152

Heard

56

Successful

(37%)

Total

19,869 admissions

380

Lodged

(1.9%)

260

Heard

69

Successful

(27%)

Total appeals lodged per year

1460
2019
1782
2020
1372
2021
1290
2022
1242
2023
1065
2024
1068
2025
865
2026

Source: DfE admission appeals statistics. Shows how competitive school places are in this area.

Towns in Derbyshire

Chesterfield

85 schools

Derby

35 schools

Alfreton

34 schools

Matlock

27 schools

Swadlincote

25 schools

Ilkeston

25 schools

Nottingham

24 schools

Buxton

22 schools

Glossop

21 schools

Ashbourne

20 schools

Belper

17 schools

High Peak

15 schools

Dronfield

14 schools

Hope Valley

12 schools

Ripley

11 schools

Sheffield

9 schools

Heanor

9 schools

Mansfield

8 schools

Bakewell

8 schools

Derbyshire

4 schools

Questions parents ask about schools in Derbyshire

How many schools are there in Derbyshire?

Derbyshire has 454 open schools: 354 state primary, 48 state secondary or all-through, 8 independent, 33 special and 11 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Derbyshire are rated Outstanding?

25 schools in Derbyshire were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Alderwasley Hall School; Pegasus School; St Mary's Catholic High School, A Catholic Voluntary Academy; Lea Primary School; John King Infant Academy; and 20 more. Counting Good as well, 90% of the 374 graded schools here are rated 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.

Alderwasley Hall SchoolPegasus SchoolSt Mary's Catholic High School, A Catholic Voluntary AcademyLea Primary SchoolJohn King Infant Academy

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Derbyshire get the best GCSE results?

Of the 47 schools in Derbyshire with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at St Mary's Catholic High School, A Catholic Voluntary Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 60.3 and 66% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; The Ecclesbourne School, with an Attainment 8 score of 57.3 and 68% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and John Port Spencer Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 53.5 and 63% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

St Mary's Catholic High School, A Catholic Voluntary AcademyThe Ecclesbourne SchoolJohn Port Spencer Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Derbyshire have the best SATs results?

7 of the 245 primary schools in Derbyshire with 2025 Key Stage 2 results had every pupil reach the expected standard in both reading and maths, among them Aston-on-Trent Primary School, Holbrook Church of England Primary School and Kirk Langley CofE Primary School. Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Aston-on-Trent Primary SchoolHolbrook Church of England Primary SchoolKirk Langley CofE Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Derbyshire?

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

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Derbyshire have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Derbyshire 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 Derbyshire?

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. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.

Explore More

The Great School Divide
Anatomy of Outstanding
League Tables