Taxal and Fernilee CofE Primary School, High Peak
Taxal and Fernilee CofE Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in High Peak. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 2nd-highest of the 11 schools in High Peak with published results, and 2,234th of 14,452 across England. It was 93% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2012)
- 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
Taxal and Fernilee CofE Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 88% of Year 6 pupils at Taxal and Fernilee CofE Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 88% 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 (86% in reading, 89% in maths).
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Taxal and Fernilee CofE Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 15 families put Taxal and Fernilee CofE Primary School as their first choice and 37 named it as one of their preferences, for 15 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Taxal and Fernilee CofE Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Taxal and Fernilee CofE Primary School are Whaley Bridge Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 63% reading, 63% maths); Buxworth Primary School (1.3 miles, Good, 76% reading, 41% maths); Kettleshulme St James CofE (VA) Primary School (1.4 miles, Good, 78% reading, 67% maths); and Furness Vale Primary and Nursery School (1.7 miles, Good, 93% reading, 86% maths).
Taxal and Fernilee CofE Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
Whaley Bridge Primary SchoolBuxworth Primary SchoolKettleshulme St James CofE (VA) Primary SchoolFurness Vale Primary and Nursery School
Who goes there
0.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 46 pupils (24%) received SEN support and 4 (2.1%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Whaley Bridge Rail Station, about 800 metres away (roughly a 10-minute walk).
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Reddish Road (adjacent), 130 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 24 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Derbyshire (50).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Taxal and Fernilee CofE Primary School issued 4 suspensions, 2 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; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; 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 · 3 years agoThis judgement is from April 2012, 14 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 Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its April 2012 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
17.2%
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 remained stable at around 88% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 88% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 86% to 94% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.3
Avg class size
22.7
Infant (KS1)
30.8
KS2
7
Total classes
3 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Taxal and Fernilee CofE Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Taxal and Fernilee CofE Primary School.
- Taxal & Fernilee Out of School ClubAt the school · Not yet graded
Term dates
Taxal and Fernilee CofE 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
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Taxal and Fernilee CofE Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Taxal and Fernilee CofE 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
- 7
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 4 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 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 Taxal and Fernilee CofE Primary School
Will you get a place at Taxal and Fernilee CofE Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Taxal and Fernilee CofE Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Taxal and Fernilee CofE Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Taxal and Fernilee CofE 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 Taxal and Fernilee CofE 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.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
93%
Near capacity
193 pupils
207 places
14 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - High Peak
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for High Peak
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(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
46
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
26.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
192
Total Pupils
110
Boys
82
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
19.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,903
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,140
Per pupil
£1098k
Total funding
£32k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.1%
Overall absence
5.1%
Persistent absence
175
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Taxal and Fernilee CofE Primary School
What are SATs results like at Taxal and Fernilee CofE Primary School?
Of the pupils at Taxal and Fernilee CofE Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 88% reached the expected standard in reading and 88% did so in maths.
What is Taxal and Fernilee CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Taxal and Fernilee CofE Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in April 2012, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Taxal and Fernilee CofE Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Taxal and Fernilee CofE 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 Taxal and Fernilee CofE Primary School?
Taxal and Fernilee CofE Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 93% of its 207 places.
How big are the classes at Taxal and Fernilee CofE Primary School?
Classes at Taxal and Fernilee CofE Primary School average 27.3 pupils (2025/26). 3 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Taxal and Fernilee CofE Primary School?
Taxal and Fernilee CofE Primary School has around 192 pupils on roll. 17% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Taxal and Fernilee CofE Primary School?
4.1% of sessions were missed at Taxal and Fernilee CofE Primary School in 2024/25. 5.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Taxal and Fernilee CofE Primary School?
Apply through Derbyshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Taxal and Fernilee CofE 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 Taxal and Fernilee CofE Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Taxal & Fernilee Out of School Club (registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
What are Taxal and Fernilee CofE Primary School's term dates?
Taxal and Fernilee CofE 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 Taxal and Fernilee CofE Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 4 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 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 Taxal and Fernilee CofE Primary School?
Taxal and Fernilee CofE Primary School is at Reddish Road, Whaley Bridge, High Peak, Derbyshire, SK23 7DL.
Sources: Derbyshire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)