St Peter's Church of England (VC) Junior School, Buxton
St Peter's Church of England (VC) Junior School is a primary school for pupils aged 7 to 11 in Buxton. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 5th-highest of the 8 schools in Buxton with published results, and 11,035th of 14,452 across England. It was 71% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Capacity
- 71% full
- Attendance
- In line with England
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
St Peter's Church of England (VC) Junior School in detail
St Peter's Church of England (VC) Junior School in its own words
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include chess, Lego and cooking.
The school runs after-school care.
Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 72% of Year 6 pupils at St Peter's Church of England (VC) Junior School reached the expected standard in reading and 64% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 73% in Derbyshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (76% in reading, 58% in maths).
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St Peter's Church of England (VC) 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 St Peter's Church of England (VC) Junior School are Fairfield Infant and Nursery School (0.2 miles); Fairfield Infant and Nursery School (0.2 miles, Good); Buxton Infant School (0.7 miles, Good); and Buxton Infant School (0.7 miles).
Fairfield Infant and Nursery SchoolFairfield Infant and Nursery SchoolBuxton Infant SchoolBuxton Infant School
Who goes there
56.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 4.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Staffing
St Peter's Church of England (VC) Junior School had 11 teachers in 2026, one for every 16 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Buxton Rail Station, about 1170 metres away (roughly a 15-minute walk).
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Boarstones Lane (n-bound), 60 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 162 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Derbyshire (50), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Peter's Church of England (VC) Junior School issued 39 suspensions, 22.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Peter's Church of England (VC) Junior School are St Thomas More Catholic Voluntary Academy (0.8 miles) and Buxton Community School (1.2 miles).
St Thomas More Catholic Voluntary AcademyBuxton Community School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); 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 April 2019, 7 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
This is a caring and inclusive school where pupils are happy and achieve well.
The school is ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). It provides effective support to pupils with SEND who achieve well. Pupils are proud of their successes.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has a curriculum that is ambitious for all pupils to achieve well. Pupils' learning builds well over time. The curriculum outlines what must be learned and remembered by pupils, and when. However, in some subjects, the curriculums do not take fully into account any gaps pupils may have in their knowledge when introducing new learning.
The curriculum is largely taught well. Information is presented clearly and questioning helps pupils learn new vocabulary. Resources are selected appropriately. However, occasionally, new knowledge is introduced too soon for some pupils. At times, staff do not take enough account of what pupils already understand when they decide what must be taught next.
From Ofsted's July 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 April 2019 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
56.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 76% to 72% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 58% to 64% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 78% to 72% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
23.6
Avg class size
23.6
KS2
7
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with St Peter's Church of England (VC) Junior School
Term dates
St Peter's Church of England (VC) Junior 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
Check free transport to St Peter's Church of England (VC) Junior School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Peter's Church of England (VC) 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
- 9
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 6 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle.
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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
71%
Available places
171 pupils
240 places
69 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.
Inspection History(14)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
33
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
26.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
165
Total Pupils
84
Boys
81
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
15.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,002
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,406
Per pupil
£1353k
Total funding
£153k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.1%
Overall absence
11.6%
Persistent absence
181
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
St Peter's Church of England (VC) Junior School
Questions parents ask about St Peter's Church of England (VC) Junior School
What are SATs results like at St Peter's Church of England (VC) Junior School?
Of the pupils at St Peter's Church of England (VC) Junior School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 72% reached the expected standard in reading and 64% did so in maths.
What is St Peter's Church of England (VC) Junior School's Ofsted rating?
St Peter's Church of England (VC) Junior School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in April 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Peter's Church of England (VC) Junior School?
No fixed boundary. When St Peter's Church of England (VC) 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 St Peter's Church of England (VC) Junior School?
St Peter's Church of England (VC) Junior School was not full in 2025: it ran at 71% of its 240 places.
How big are the classes at St Peter's Church of England (VC) Junior School?
Classes at St Peter's Church of England (VC) Junior School average 23.6 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Peter's Church of England (VC) Junior School?
St Peter's Church of England (VC) Junior School has around 165 pupils on roll. 56% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Peter's Church of England (VC) Junior School?
5.1% of sessions were missed at St Peter's Church of England (VC) Junior School in 2024/25. 11.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Peter's Church of England (VC) Junior School?
Apply through Derbyshire's coordinated admissions process, naming St Peter's Church of England (VC) 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.
What are St Peter's Church of England (VC) Junior School's term dates?
St Peter's Church of England (VC) Junior 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 St Peter's Church of England (VC) Junior School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 6 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle. 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 St Peter's Church of England (VC) Junior School?
St Peter's Church of England (VC) Junior School is at Boarstone Lane, Fairfield, Buxton, Derbyshire, SK17 7NA.
Sources: Derbyshire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)