School Chooser

Carsington and Hopton Primary School

Primary · ages 5-11MixedChurch of England31 pupilsMatlockDerbyshire
School Chooser Score
35
Below
similar schools
Likely range 13 to 68, so it could be “in line”
Out of 100. Better than 51% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, May 2024
Attendance94.5%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families13%Far fewer than most schools
Places18 spare31 pupils, 49 places
Pupils per teacher7.7School workforce census
Pupils on roll31Census January 2026

Carsington and Hopton Primary School is a Church of England school (voluntary aided) in Matlock for boys and girls aged 5 to 11. It has 31 pupils and room for 49. About 13 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 35 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 51% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.

Carsington, Matlock, DE4 4DE01629 540206carsingtonhoptonprimary.co.ukMr Peter Johnston headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 8 May 2024 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

2 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way.

Reached the expected level at 11Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected levelOfficial name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading scoreOfficial name: Reading average scaled score
Maths scoreOfficial name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2024
2017: 67%67%20172018: 40%40%20182019: 100%100%20192024: 22%22%2024
Since 2017: -45%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017DerbyshireEngland
Pupils tested2956106
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths22%100%40%67%60%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%17%0%0%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score104.0109.0107.0103.0105.2105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score97.0106.099.0101.0104.2104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score97.0103.0101.098.0104.6105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard78%100%90%83%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard33%100%40%67%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)44%100%70%83%
Reading progressReading progress score-0.4+1.2-3.1
Maths progressMaths progress score-3.5-5.6-5.0
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged40%67%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Plenty of spare places33 pupils for 41 places, 2024/25
81% full

8 places were empty (20% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have grown by 18% since 2021/22.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Derbyshire council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll31Census January 2026
Places4963% full
Pupils from low-income families13%13% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English3%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support7%2 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan13%4 pupils with a plan
Average class size15.52 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)14%£6,200 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls17 / 14
White British pupils94%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Autistic spectrum disorder (3), language and communications needs (2), Specific learning difficulty (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll313637412827
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals13%22%16%12%14%4%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language3%0%0%0%0%0%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support14%27%34%29%26%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans8%0%0%0%0%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.5% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance94.5%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school10.0%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission2.5%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.5%4.6%7.2%5.7%2.5%2.4%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.0%3.5%6.9%5.0%2.1%2.0%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence2.5%1.1%0.4%0.7%0.4%0.4%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence10.0%5.3%14.7%4.4%7.7%3.1%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.02.712.23.60.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers4.0full-time equivalent, 6 people
Pupils per teacher7.7Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants2.9full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£46,406
Teachers who left in the year0%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher2.82022/23

Money

From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£12,458England £7,738. Total £448k
Income per pupil£12,442England £7,697. Total £448k
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,654England £3,480
Money in reserve5%Not much put by: £20k, £558 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£580it spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£12,458spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m1212 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate49 per 1,000 people46% lower than the England average
Typical house price£320,000Derbyshire Dales
Nearest bus stop200 mMain Street, 2 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Brassington Primary SchoolCouncil1.4 miles53Good 202345Compare
Kirk Ireton C of E Primary SchoolChurch of England2.1 miles40No overall grade 202588Compare
Middleton Community Primary SchoolCouncil2.2 miles93Report card 202674Compare
Wirksworth CofE Infant SchoolChurch of England2.3 miles47Good 202456Compare
Wirksworth Junior SchoolCouncil2.4 miles76Good 202318Compare
Kniveton CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England3.2 miles55Good 202081Compare
Cromford Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England3.4 miles75Good 202219Compare
Bonsall CofE (A) Primary SchoolChurch of England3.4 miles38Good 202431Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Carsington and Hopton Primary School with the 47 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 47 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats51%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 35 is about the same as the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 35 · highest 95100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 47 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Carsington and Hopton Primary School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Hartington CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England8.8 miles22Good 202452Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 35 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 35% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 13 to 68. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years0%no data
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.03
Ofsted grade, 2.3 years old
Progress pupils make0%no data
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.23
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
+0.02
2024/25; 30 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils0%no data
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Carsington and Hopton Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. Carsington and Hopton Primary School scores 35 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 51% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 13 to 68, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Carsington and Hopton Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Carsington and Hopton Primary School good at its last full inspection on 8 May 2024.

How many pupils does Carsington and Hopton Primary School have?

31 pupils aged 5 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 49 places, so it is 63% full.

Is Carsington and Hopton Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 8 places were empty in 2024/25 (20% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Carsington and Hopton Primary School?

Pupils were in school 94.5% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 10% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Carsington and Hopton Primary School?

The average class had 15.5 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Carsington, Matlock, DE4 4DE
Telephone
01629 540206
Website
www.carsingtonhoptonprimary.co.uk
Headteacher
Mr Peter Johnston
Type of school
Church of England school (voluntary aided) (Voluntary aided school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 5-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Derby
Local authority
Derbyshire
Ward
Wirksworth
Constituency
Derbyshire Dales
Setting
Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
URN
112878 · LAESTAB 8303306 · UKPRN 10071052

Where these figures come from