Dronfield Junior School, Dronfield
Dronfield Junior School is a primary school for pupils aged 7 to 11 in Dronfield. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 8th-highest of the 9 schools in Dronfield with published results, and 9,982nd of 14,452 across England. It was 97% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
- Capacity
- 97% full
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Dronfield Junior School in detail
Results
In 2025, 71% of Year 6 pupils at Dronfield Junior School reached the expected standard in reading and 71% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 73% in Derbyshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 78% in reading and 77% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Dronfield Junior School
Across Derbyshire, 95% of families were offered their first-choice primary school for 2026 entry, and 99% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in Derbyshire lodged 161 appeals against primary school offers; 108 reached a hearing and 13 succeeded (12% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Dronfield Junior School are Dronfield Infant School (under 0.1 miles, Outstanding); Dronfield Stonelow Junior School (0.5 miles, Good, 85% reading, 83% maths); Holmesdale Infant School (0.6 miles, Outstanding); and Lenthall Infant and Nursery School (0.6 miles, Good).
Dronfield Infant SchoolDronfield Stonelow Junior SchoolHolmesdale Infant SchoolLenthall Infant and Nursery School
What parents say
67 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Dronfield Junior School (as of September 2025): 90% would recommend the school, 99% say their child is happy there and 65% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (99%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (65%).
Who goes there
1.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (88%) and Mixed (8%).
In 2026, 38 pupils (11.9%) received SEN support and 5 (1.6%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is a moderate learning difficulty.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Dronfield Rail Station, about 240 metres away (roughly a 3-minute walk).
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Fletcher Avenue (adjacent), 80 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Dronfield Junior School issued 6 suspensions, 1.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from May 2015, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Dronfield Junior School is a happy community where pupils enjoy learning and playing together. Pupils know that their teachers expect much of them academically and personally. They trust the adults in school to help them and to keep them safe.
They work hard in lessons and understand the need to be resilient when learning is more challenging. Social times are full of fun and chatter. Pupils look out for each other. Parents and carers agree that the school cares for their children exceptionally well. Many identify the warm and welcoming environment as a strength of the school.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
Reading is at the heart of the curriculum. Pupils who need help to catch up receive skilful support to address the gaps in their phonic knowledge. The school relentlessly tackles any stumbling blocks that stand in the way of pupils becoming fluent and accurate readers. The school is ambitious that pupils will become avid readers.
The school has developed a rich and ambitious curriculum. It sets out clearly what pupils need to learn, and when. It has been organised with care so that pupils build their learning up step by step. Teachers explain new concepts clearly and provide pupils with plenty of opportunities to practise what they have learned. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are identified without delay. They learn the same curriculum because they receive the right support and adaptations. In most subjects, pupils can recall, and apply, what they have learned. For example, across the school pupils use their understanding of number well to complete the mathematical tasks they are given and Year 4 pupils recall prior knowledge to write a code to create two dimensional shapes. In a very small number of subjects, pupils do not remember this important knowledge with the same degree of confidence. As a result, pupils are less able to acquire new knowledge because they have not secured prior learning.
From Ofsted's October 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its May 2015 inspection - down from Outstanding.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
21.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
67 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 78% to 71% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 77% to 71% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 76% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.0
Avg class size
29.0
KS2
11
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Dronfield Junior School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Dronfield Junior School.
- School Lane Kids ClubAt the school · Not yet graded
- Holmesdale Kids Club940m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Dronfield Junior 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
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Dronfield Junior School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Dronfield Junior 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
- 13
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 8 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
3 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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
97%
Near capacity
345 pupils
356 places
11 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Dronfield
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Dronfield
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.
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
38
SEN Support
5
EHC Plans
13.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
319
Total Pupils
168
Boys
151
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
18
Teachers
17.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,191
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,021
Per pupil
£1893k
Total funding
£91k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.8%
Overall absence
8.0%
Persistent absence
349
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
Dronfield Junior School
Questions parents ask about Dronfield Junior School
What are SATs results like at Dronfield Junior School?
Of the pupils at Dronfield Junior School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 71% reached the expected standard in reading and 71% did so in maths.
What is Dronfield Junior School's Ofsted rating?
Dronfield Junior School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2015, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Dronfield Junior School?
No fixed boundary. When Dronfield Junior 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 Dronfield Junior School?
Dronfield Junior School was close to full in 2025, at 97% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Dronfield Junior School?
Classes at Dronfield Junior School average 29 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Dronfield Junior School?
Dronfield Junior School has around 319 pupils on roll. 21% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Dronfield Junior School?
3.8% of sessions were missed at Dronfield Junior School in 2024/25. 8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Dronfield Junior School?
Apply through Derbyshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Dronfield Junior School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
Does Dronfield Junior School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: School Lane Kids Club (registered, not yet graded). There is another within a kilometre. The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
What are Dronfield Junior School's term dates?
Dronfield Junior 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 Dronfield Junior School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 8 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 3 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 Dronfield Junior School?
Dronfield Junior School is at School Lane, Dronfield, Derbyshire, S18 1RY.
Sources: Derbyshire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)