Peak School, High Peak

Requires Improvement
Special
Academy special converter
Mixed
Ages 219

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Jo Howarth
Pupils:86 / 90 capacity
LA:Derbyshire
Phone:01663750324
Address:Buxton Road, Chinley, High Peak, SK23 6ES
Trust:ESTEEM MULTI-ACADEMY TRUST
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open
Opened:1 August 2018

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 1 year ago
-

Overall

Good

Quality of Education

Good

Behaviour & Attitudes

Good

Personal Development

Good

Leadership & Management

Good

Sixth Form

Inspected 1 July 2025View full report
URN:146053
UKPRN:10068331
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:High Peak
Urban/Rural:Larger rural: Further from a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Peak School excels at helping every child feel happy, safe and proud of their achievements. Staff use positive relationships and deep knowledge of each pupil to support learning, with excellent phonics teaching and a genuine love of reading woven throughout. The school brilliantly prepares pupils for adult life through tailored careers guidance, work experiences, and community visits, ensuring every young person moves on to an appropriate next step.

Key Strengths

  • Strong focus on developing communication and language skills with excellent phonics teaching and love of reading
  • Calm, orderly environment with high expectations for behaviour and positive relationships between staff and pupils
  • Effective preparation for adult life through tailored careers education, work-related learning, and well-planned transitions to appropriate destinations
  • Staff quickly identify pupils' needs and adapt the curriculum to help each pupil thrive
  • Strong leadership and governance that have driven improvement since the previous inspection

Areas for Improvement

  • Some classroom activities do not sufficiently focus on helping pupils gain the key knowledge and skills they need
  • Staff need better guidance on selecting activities that ensure pupils secure intended learning outcomes

Safeguarding

Safeguarding arrangements are effective with clear policies and systems in place to keep pupils safe.

Extracurricular Activities

Opera house trips, outdoor pursuits centre visits, work-related learning, community visits

Peak School is a special school for pupils aged 2-19 with autism, profound and multiple learning difficulties, and speech, language and communication needs. The school has improved significantly since its last inspection and provides a positive, calm learning environment where pupils feel happy and safe.

At a Glance

76.8%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

Yes

Sixth Form

VI - Visual Impairment, HI - Hearing Impairment, SLCN - Speech, language and Communication, ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder

SEN Provision

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

12 responses
Would recommend83%
Child is happy92%
Well taught83%
Good progress75%
Feels safe92%
Well behaved75%
Bullying dealt with25%
Kept informed67%
Handles concerns50%
Wider development83%

Source: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

Reading0%
Maths0%
Writing0%

2025/26 academic year

Class Sizes

0.0

Avg class size

0

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Train Stations

Chinley Rail Station (Entrance)
702m · 11 min walk

Bus Stops

Alders Avenue (Adj)
81m · 1 min walk
Kelmscott House (opp)
292m · 5 min walk
Station Road (E-bound)
504m · 8 min walk
Junction (opp)
585m · 10 min walk
Lower Lane (W-bound)
721m · 12 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

96%

Near capacity

86 pupils

90 capacity

4 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - High Peak

High pressure
New homes approved:595
Projected new pupils:107

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for High Peak

Admissions Demand - Derbyshire

Low demand0.90x oversubscription

Places available

8,811

Applications

7,963

Got 1st preference

95.4%

Got preferred school

99.1%

Secondary admissions across Derbyshire (2025/26)

Inspection History(3)

1 July 2025
Quality of EducationGood
Behaviour & AttitudesGood
Personal DevelopmentGood
Leadership & ManagementGood
Sixth FormGood
13 December 2022
Requires ImprovementReport
Quality of EducationRequires Improvement
Behaviour & AttitudesGood
Personal DevelopmentRequires Improvement
Leadership & ManagementRequires Improvement
Sixth FormRequires Improvement
10 July 2013
Good
Leadership & ManagementGood

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

14.78206%

Overall absence

39.72603%

Persistent absence

73

Enrolments

Authorised8.77255%
Unauthorised6.00951%
Persistent (10%+)39.72603%
Severe (50%+)6.84932%

Absence trend

10.05399%
18/19
12.89295%
20/21
14.15986%
21/22
13.58059%
22/23
11.97348%
23/24
14.78206%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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