School Chooser

Derby High School

Independent · ages 3-19MixedIndependent (grammar)Church of England679 pupilsSixth formNurseryDerby
School Chooser ScoreNot scoredWe don't score this type of school.
Strong pass in English and maths87%England 46%
Places56 spare679 pupils, 735 places
Average A level gradeB+2024/25
Pupils on roll679Census January 2024

Derby High School is an independent school in Derby for boys and girls aged 3 to 19. It has 679 pupils and room for 735.

Hillsway, Littleover, Derby, DE23 3DT01332 514267derbyhigh.derby.sch.ukMrs Amy Chapman headteacherAll details

Inspection

This private school is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate, not Ofsted. Its reports are at isi.net.

Results

GCSE results, summer 2025

55 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.

Average GCSE score60.1
England 46.8
Official name: Attainment 8
Strong pass in English and maths87%
England 46%
Official name: Grade 5+ in English and maths
Standard pass in English and maths96%
England 66%
Official name: Grade 4+ in English and maths
Trend
Average GCSE score
2018 to 2025
2018: 61.261.220182019: 67.167.120192022: 68.968.920222023: 65.865.820232024: 63.763.720242025: 60.160.12025
Since 2018: -1.1
All GCSE measures, year by year
Measure202520242023202220192018DerbyEngland
Pupils at the end of Year 11556160525046
Average GCSE scoreAttainment 860.163.765.868.967.161.242.746.8
Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths87%82%93%90%96%83%38%46%
Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths96%95%97%100%100%89%59%66%
Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score3.924.074.364.624.654.033.734.15
Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry0%0%0%0%0%0%33%41%

Subjects

Results came out for 15 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.

Strongest subjects

Design & Technology100%grades 9 to 5, England 50%
Geography100%grades 9 to 5, England 51%
Art and Design100%grades 9 to 5, England 58%
English Literature96%grades 9 to 5, England 58%
What is taught hereOffers 3 languages, computer science, music.

The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.

Every subject against England, 2025
Mathematics54 entries
91%England 53%
96%England 58%
89%England 54%
Biology48 entries
94%England 82%
Geography33 entries
100%England 51%
History30 entries
77%England 52%
German24 entries
71%England 63%
Spanish20 entries
80%England 54%
Art and Design17 entries
100%England 58%
100%England 50%
100%England 52%
Music10 entries
100%England 61%
SubjectEntriesGrades 9 to 7Grades 9 to 5Grades 9 to 4England 9 to 5Rank in England
Mathematics5430%91%98%53%
English Literature5448%96%98%58%
English Language5435%89%100%54%
Biology4850%94%100%82%
Geography3358%100%100%51%
History3043%77%93%52%
German2429%71%92%63%
Spanish2055%80%90%54%
Art and Design17100%100%100%58%
Design & Technology1567%100%100%50%
Food Preparation & Nutrition1479%100%100%52%
Music1050%100%100%61%
Physical Education967%100%100%56%
French683%100%100%60%
Computer Science683%100%100%56%

In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.

A level and sixth-form results, 2025

48 students finished sixth-form courses.

Average A level gradeB+42.2 points per entry
A level progress+0.19Against students elsewhere with the same GCSE grades. 0 is average.
AAB or better31%with two subjects universities favour
All sixth-form measures, year by year
Measure202520242023202220192018
Students484735367073
Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry42.2343.3844.3043.9339.3640.64
Average A level gradeB+B+B+B+BB
Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS41.8843.0444.4143.7139.3541.57
AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects31%36%35%37%36%35%
A level progressA level value added+0.19+0.19-0.22-0.12
Applied general courses: points per entry26.67

A level subjects

12 A level subjects had results in 2025. Each figure is the share of students who got an A* to B, next to the average for state sixth forms in England. When only a handful of students take a subject, its figures jump around from year to year.

Strongest A levels

Psychology75%A* to B, England 46% · 16 entries
Business Studies71%A* to B, England 47% · 14 entries
Chemistry68%A* to B, England 53% · 19 entries
Biology60%A* to B, England 49% · 25 entries
A levels taught hereThe small number is how many students sat each one in 2025.
SubjectsBiology25Chemistry19Psychology16Business Studies14Mathematics9Physics8Physical Education / Sports Studies8Geography7English Language and Literature5History5Government and Politics5Music5
Every A level subject against England, 2025
Biology25 entries · 44% A* or A · 100% passed
60%England 49%
Chemistry19 entries · 63% A* or A · 95% passed
68%England 53%
Psychology16 entries · 56% A* or A · 100% passed
75%England 46%
Business Studies14 entries · 7% A* or A · 100% passed
71%England 47%
Mathematics9 entries · 67% A* or A · 100% passed
89%England 60%
Physics8 entries · 38% A* or A · 100% passed
38%England 51%
Physical Education / Sports Studies8 entries · 25% A* or A · 100% passed
50%England 41%
Geography7 entries · 57% A* or A · 100% passed
100%England 51%
English Language and Literature5 entries · 0% A* or A · 0% passed
0%England 47%
History5 entries · 0% A* or A · 0% passed
0%England 55%
Government and Politics5 entries · 0% A* or A · 0% passed
0%England 55%
Music5 entries · 0% A* or A · 0% passed
0%England 47%

A levels only. BTECs, T levels and other courses are in the table above. Subjects with fewer than five students aren't published.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. None of the gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At GCSE, 2025

Average GCSE scoreBoys vs girls
57.760.9
Gap 3.2England 3.0
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Grammar school. This is a grammar school, so places depend on an entrance test. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

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 Derby council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who the school teaches, from the latest school census.

Pupils on roll679Census January 2024
Places73592% full
Pupils from low-income familiesGet free school meals
Pupils getting extra support11%77 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan0%1 pupil with a plan
Boys and girls272 / 407
How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll679696677640594537
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals0%0%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language0%0%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support13%12%10%16%6%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans0%0%0%0%0%

What pupils do next

After sixth form

Where the 35 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training91%and stayed there for at least six months
Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers
Still in education, work or training91%92%89%
Education77%83%81%
Apprenticeship3%0%0%
Work11%8%8%
Not in education, work or training6%8%8%

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m12412 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate61 per 1,000 people33% lower than the England average
Nearest bus stop70 mDerby High School, 19 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 schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Carlyle Infant and Nursery AcademyAcademy490 m182Good 202335Compare
St Peter's Church of England Aided Junior SchoolAcademy540 m229No overall grade 202412Compare
Wren Park Primary SchoolCouncil590 m353Report card 202627Compare
Littleover Community SchoolCouncil810 m1,828Good 202280Compare
Derby Moor Spencer AcademyAcademy940 m1,740Good 202256Compare
Ivy House SchoolAcademy940 m110Outstanding 2024Compare
St Clare's SchoolAcademy0.6 miles181Outstanding 2023Compare
Griffe Field Primary SchoolAcademy0.8 miles459Outstanding 202399Compare

Questions parents ask

Is Derby High School a good school?

We don't have enough published data to score Derby High School yet.

How good are Derby High School's GCSE results?

In summer 2025, 87% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 60.1, against 46.8 for England.

How many pupils does Derby High School have?

679 pupils aged 3 to 19 were on the roll in January 2024. It has 735 places, so it is 92% full.

Does Derby High School have an entrance exam?

Yes. It is a grammar school, so places depend on an entrance test, usually sat in September of Year 6. Check the school's admissions page for the test dates and the pass mark.

Does Derby High School have a sixth form?

Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was B+. 12 A level subjects had results in 2025; the full list is in the results section.

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

Contact and details

Address
Hillsway, Littleover, Derby, DE23 3DT
Telephone
01332 514267
Website
www.derbyhigh.derby.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Amy Chapman
Type of school
Independent school (Other independent school, independent schools)
Phase
Independent school, ages 3-19, with nursery, with sixth form
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England
Local authority
Derby
Ward
Littleover
Constituency
Derby North
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 January 1911
URN
113017 · LAESTAB 8316001 · UKPRN 10008192

Recent changes

  • New KS4 results for 2024/25

Where these figures come from