Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Buxton
Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Buxton. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2025 did not change this grade. It was 62% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
- 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
Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School in detail
Getting a place at Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 4 families put Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School as their first choice and 11 named it as one of their preferences, for 4 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 Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School are Peak Dale Primary School (2.4 miles, Good, 50% reading, 36% maths); Dove Holes CofE Primary School (2.4 miles, Good, 63% reading, 75% maths); Bishop Pursglove CofE (A) Primary School (3.2 miles, 82% reading, 64% maths); and Castleton CofE Primary School (3.2 miles, Good).
Peak Dale Primary SchoolDove Holes CofE Primary SchoolBishop Pursglove CofE (A) Primary SchoolCastleton CofE Primary School
Who goes there
0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (91%) and Mixed (7%).
In 2026, 10 pupils (23.8%) received SEN support and 0 (0%) 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.
Staffing
Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School had 5 teachers in 2026, one for every 6 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Dove Holes Rail Station, about 2.5 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Church (opposite), 10 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 2 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour and violence and sexual offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Derbyshire (50).
Suspensions and exclusions
Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from June 2015, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Peak Forest is a nurturing school where children are happy and eager to learn. The school prioritises reading and uses literature to deepen pupils' understanding of the world, while also providing an excellent personal development programme that prepares children for life in modern Britain. Staff care deeply about pupil well-being and the school offers extensive enrichment experiences including trips within the Peak District.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on reading with pupils exposed to rich and stimulating texts and receiving swift support if they fall behind
- Excellent personal development programme with comprehensive curriculum teaching pupils about modern Britain, equality and respect
- Well-identified needs of pupils with SEND and mostly strong support in the classroom
- Positive staff morale with strong leadership at all levels
- Good range of extra-curricular activities and enrichment experiences
Areas for Improvement
- Staff do not consistently check that pupils fully understand new concepts and subject vocabulary before moving on, leading to gaps in learning
- Some pupils are not taught how to hold and use a pen well enough, affecting the accuracy of their writing
- Reading comprehension checks are not always systematic across all pupils
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with the school establishing a strong and vigilant culture to promote pupils' physical and mental well-being and safety.
Extracurricular Activities
Rural Derbyshire Sports Partnership connection, federation-wide together days, trips within the Peak District and beyond Derbyshire
Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is a happy and friendly place to learn with a warm and inclusive ethos where pupils feel safe and cared for. The school has maintained good standards and has effective leadership with a clear vision for all pupils to be 'happy, healthy and hungry to learn'.
At a Glance
19.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
21.0
Avg class size
22.0
KS2
2
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Before and after school care
Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Derbyshire
Term dates
Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is a voluntary controlled 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
You apply to the council where you live. Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary 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
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 2 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
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 Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Will you get a place at Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Derbyshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary 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
62%
Available places
32 pupils
52 places
20 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Buxton
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Buxton
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(9)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
10
SEN Support
0
EHC Plans
23.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
42
Total Pupils
21
Boys
21
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
5
Teachers
8.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,198
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£11,167
Per pupil
£393k
Total funding
£8k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.3%
Overall absence
7.7%
Persistent absence
26
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
What is Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2015, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary 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 Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 62% of its 52 places.
How big are the classes at Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Classes at Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School average 21 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School has around 42 pupils on roll. 19% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
3.3% of sessions were missed at Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School in 2024/25. 7.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Apply through Derbyshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary 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.
Does Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school.
What are Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's term dates?
Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is a voluntary controlled 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 Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 2 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 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 Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is at Hernstone Lane, Peak Forest, Buxton, Derbyshire, SK17 8EJ.
Sources: Derbyshire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)