Combs Infant School, Combs High Peak
Combs Infant School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 7 in Combs High Peak. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2022. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in April 2025 did not change this grade. It was 53% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2022)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Derbyshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Combs Infant School in detail
Getting a place at Combs Infant School
For September 2026 entry, 5 families put Combs Infant School as their first choice and 9 named it as one of their preferences, for 5 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Combs Infant School are Chapel-en-le-Frith CofE VC Primary School (1.9 miles, Good, 59% reading, 39% maths); Dove Holes CofE Primary School (2.2 miles, Good, 63% reading, 75% maths); Taxal and Fernilee CofE Primary School (2.5 miles, Good, 88% reading, 88% maths); and Whaley Bridge Primary School (2.5 miles, Good, 63% reading, 63% maths).
Chapel-en-le-Frith CofE VC Primary SchoolDove Holes CofE Primary SchoolTaxal and Fernilee CofE Primary SchoolWhaley Bridge Primary School
Who goes there
7.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 0 pupils (0%) received SEN support and 0 (0%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school.
Staffing
Combs Infant School had 2 teachers in 2026, one for every 8 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Chapel-en-le-Frith Rail Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.
1 bus stop is within a five-minute walk; the closest is Beehive Inn (adjacent), 170 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 1 crime within a mile of the school, most often weapons possession. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Derbyshire (50).
Suspensions and exclusions
Combs Infant School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's April 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This is a wonderfully nurturing village school where your child will thrive. Staff know pupils and families incredibly well, and children are happy and feel safe. The school has a fantastic focus on reading from the moment children start, and offers a rich range of experiences including trips, outdoor learning and special visitors to help your child develop their talents and interests.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on reading with all staff trained in phonics - pupils become confident, fluent readers
- Excellent personal development provision with a wide range of clubs, trips and community involvement
- Outstanding early years provision where children develop curiosity and communication skills through outdoor exploration
- Very good behaviour and positive attitudes to learning across the school
- Staff well-being is prioritised by leaders
Areas for Improvement
- Some subjects have curricula that are too broad, meaning pupils do not retain the most important knowledge
- Behaviour incidents are not recorded, preventing the school from identifying patterns or providing governors with necessary information
- Governance is not yet fully effective at holding leaders to account across all areas of school life
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with school creating a positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Gardening club, crafts club, sporting activities, pantomime trips, outdoor learning with chicks and lambs
Combs Infant School is a nurturing village school where pupils thrive and achieve well. The school has made significant improvements since its previous inspection and now provides good quality education.
At a Glance
7.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
5.0
Avg class size
5.0
Infant (KS1)
1
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Combs Infant School
Term dates
Combs Infant School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Derbyshire. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2027 to 2028
- Autumn term: Monday 6 September to Wednesday 22 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
- Spring term: Thursday 6 January to Friday 7 April 2028 (half term Monday 21 February to Friday 25 February 2028)
- Summer term: Monday 24 April to Monday 24 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Combs Infant School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Combs Infant School is in Derbyshire; for families living there:
- Derbyshire's school travel policy: Home to school transport policy 2026 to 2027 - 465KB
- How to apply: Apply for home to school transport assistance
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 0 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Derbyshire is 6 (the median across 454 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Combs Infant School
Will you get a place at Combs Infant School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Combs Infant School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Combs Infant School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Combs Infant School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Derbyshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Combs Infant School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Derbyshire got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
53%
Available places
16 pupils
30 places
14 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Combs High Peak
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Combs High Peak
Across Derbyshire council
Places available
9,875
Applications
7,189
Got 1st preference
94.5%
Got preferred school
99.2%
All primary applications across Derbyshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(5)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
0
EHC Plans
0.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
14
Total Pupils
7
Boys
7
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
2
Teachers
7.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
2026 data
School Funding
£17,557
Per pupil
£305k
Total funding
£3k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.1%
Overall absence
0.0%
Persistent absence
11
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Combs Infant School
Questions parents ask about Combs Infant School
What is Combs Infant School's Ofsted rating?
Combs Infant School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2022, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Combs Infant School?
No fixed boundary. When Combs Infant School is oversubscribed, Derbyshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Combs Infant School?
Combs Infant School was not full in 2025: it ran at 53% of its 30 places.
How big are the classes at Combs Infant School?
Classes at Combs Infant School average 5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Combs Infant School?
Combs Infant School has around 14 pupils on roll. 7% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Combs Infant School?
4.1% of sessions were missed at Combs Infant School in 2024/25. 0% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Combs Infant School?
Apply through Derbyshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Combs Infant School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
What are Combs Infant School's term dates?
Combs Infant School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Derbyshire. In 2027 to 2028: Autumn term: Monday 6 September to Wednesday 22 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Thursday 6 January to Friday 7 April 2028 (half term Monday 21 February to Friday 25 February 2028); Summer term: Monday 24 April to Monday 24 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near Combs Infant School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 0 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Derbyshire is 6 (the median across 454 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Combs Infant School?
Combs Infant School is at Lesser Lane, Chapel-en-le-Frith, Combs High Peak, Derbyshire, SK23 9UZ.
Sources: Derbyshire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)