Highfields School, Matlock
Highfields School is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 18 in Matlock, part of East Midlands Education Trust. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 8th-highest of the 45 schools in Derbyshire with published results, and 1,041st of 3,298 across England. It was full in 2025, at 103% of capacity.
- GCSE results
- In line with England
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
- Progress (2024)
- Average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 4 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Derbyshire (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Highfields School in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at Highfields School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 49.6, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45.2 in Derbyshire and 47 across England.
50% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 44% in Derbyshire and 47% in England.
That is up from 47 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.05: pupils made about average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.
Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 39.1, against 53.3 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 14.2 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 25 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Biology and Physics.
Getting a place at Highfields School
For September 2026 entry, 211 families put Highfields School as their first choice and 371 named it as one of their preferences, for 214 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
The trust
Highfields School is one of 24 schools run by East Midlands Education Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 51.3 in 2024/25.
What parents say
183 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Highfields School (as of September 2025): 85% would recommend the school, 89% say their child is happy there and 75% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (93%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (75%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 206 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 85% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 36% to a further education college, 5% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.
Of the 113 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 63% went on to university or other higher education, 7% to apprenticeships and 20% into work. 34% went to one of the most selective third of universities.
Who goes there
3.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 120 pupils (9.2%) received SEN support and 37 (2.9%) 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 autism.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Matlock Rail Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Highfields Upper School (outside), 80 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Highfields School issued 131 suspensions, 10.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Highfields School are St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy (0.5 miles), Castle View Primary School (0.6 miles), All Saints CofE Infant School (1 mile) and Tansley Primary School (1.1 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary AcademyCastle View Primary SchoolAll Saints CofE Infant SchoolTansley Primary School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); 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
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Highfields School has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in October 2021. Before that, as Highfields School (URN 112950), it was rated Good in September 2012.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Highfields School excels at creating a caring, welcoming environment where pupils thrive. The school offers a broad, ambitious curriculum taught by skilled staff who understand how each child learns best. Pupils are encouraged to develop leadership skills, participate in high-quality performing arts productions, and engage with their local community through volunteering and charitable work.
Key Strengths
- Strong relationships between staff and pupils, with high expectations for all learners
- Well-designed curriculum built with consistency and precision, with regular review and refinement
- Skilled teaching staff who use careful checks on learning to provide timely, tailored support
- Positive attitudes to learning among pupils, with high attendance levels
- Strong sixth-form foundation leading to high achievement in qualifications
Areas for Improvement
- School has not clearly identified the intended outcomes of strategies to support disadvantaged pupils
- Some support for disadvantaged pupils is not precisely tailored enough to their needs
- Some disadvantaged pupils continue to make less progress than non-disadvantaged peers
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with the school maintaining an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Performing arts productions, student ambassador programme, lunchtime clubs led by sixth-form students, charitable work and volunteering opportunities
Highfields School is a welcoming secondary school where pupils enjoy strong relationships with staff and benefit from a highly aspirational, broad curriculum. The school has maintained its good standards and continues to provide high-quality learning opportunities across all age groups.
At a Glance
24.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
183 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has remained stable at around 0.05 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has declined from 50.2 to 49.6 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has declined from 59% to 50% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 49.6 | 50% |
| Disadvantaged(58) | - | 39.1 | 25.9% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(166) | - | 53.3 | 58.4% |
| Boys(110) | - | 49.4 | 51.8% |
| Girls(114) | - | 49.8 | 48.2% |
Show more breakdowns (1)
| Non mobile(223) | - | 49.7 | 50.2% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 5 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 206 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
1
Permanent exclusions
0.08%
Exclusion rate
131
Suspensions
10.12%
Suspension rate
53 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 1,295 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 2 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Highfields School
Term dates
Highfields School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Derbyshire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Highfields School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Highfields 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
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 1 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
2 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 Highfields School
Will you get a place at Highfields School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Highfields School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Highfields School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Highfields School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Derbyshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Highfields School for 2022 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
103%
Over capacity
1,298 pupils
1,266 places
32 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Matlock
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Matlock
Across Derbyshire council
Places available
8,818
Applications
7,971
Got 1st preference
94.5%
Got preferred school
98.5%
All secondary applications across Derbyshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
120
SEN Support
37
EHC Plans
12.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
1,298
Total Pupils
624
Boys
674
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
84
Teachers
15.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,473
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,856
Per pupil
£7967k
Total funding
£293k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.1%
Overall absence
14.6%
Persistent absence
1,107
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about Highfields School
What are GCSE results like at Highfields School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Highfields School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 49.6. 50% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Highfields School's Ofsted rating?
Highfields School has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in October 2021. Before that, as Highfields School (URN 112950), it was rated Good in September 2012.
What is the catchment area for Highfields School?
No fixed boundary. When Highfields 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 Highfields School?
Highfields School was full in 2025, at 103% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Highfields School?
Classes at Highfields School average 23.2 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Highfields School?
Highfields School has around 1298 pupils on roll. 25% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Highfields School?
7.1% of sessions were missed at Highfields School in 2024/25. 14.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Highfields School?
Apply through Derbyshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Highfields School on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Highfields School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 1 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 2 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 Highfields School?
Highfields School is at Upper Lumsdale, Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 5NA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)