School Chooser

Netherseal St Peter's CofE (C) Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedChurch of England55 pupilsSwadlincoteDerbyshire
School Chooser Score
38
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 10 to 79, so it could be “below”
Out of 100. Better than 65% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, May 2023
Attendance93.6%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families44%Far more than most schools
Places15 spare55 pupils, 70 places
Pupils per teacher13.1School workforce census
Pupils on roll55Census January 2026

Netherseal St Peter's CofE (C) Primary School is a Church of England school (voluntary controlled) in Swadlincote for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 55 pupils and room for 70. About 44 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 39 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 65% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Main Street, Swadlincote, DE12 8BZ01283 760283netherseal.derbyshire.sch.ukMrs Melanie Machell headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 23 May 2023, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Outstanding
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Outstanding
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

5 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: 64%64%20172018: 38%38%20182019: 71%71%20192023: 56%56%20232024: 58%58%2024
Since 2017: -6%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017DerbyshireEngland
Pupils tested51297811
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths58%56%71%38%64%60%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths8%11%0%0%0%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0105.0103.097.0103.0105.2105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score102.0102.0106.099.0104.0104.2104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score107.0102.0107.0100.0102.0104.6105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard75%78%71%38%73%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard67%67%71%50%73%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)75%67%100%88%82%
Reading progressReading progress score-1.1-3.4-4.2-2.8
Maths progressMaths progress score-0.6-1.4-1.3-1.4

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 places55 pupils for 70 places, 2024/25
79% full

15 places were empty (21% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 13% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

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 roll55Census January 2026
Places7079% full
Pupils from low-income families44%44% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English2%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support24%13 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan6%3 pupils with a plan
Average class size18.33 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)41%£34,100 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls30 / 25
White British pupils89%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Moderate learning difficulty (7), Autistic spectrum disorder (3), emotional and mental health (2), language and communications needs (2), Physical disability (1), Specific learning difficulty (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll555457576159
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals44%35%28%23%18%14%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language2%2%2%2%0%0%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support20%16%16%7%9%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans4%2%0%2%0%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.6% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance93.6%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school19.2%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.9%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.4%4.5%5.1%5.0%2.8%3.2%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence5.6%3.7%4.6%4.5%2.5%2.2%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.9%0.8%0.5%0.6%0.3%1.0%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence19.2%7.7%5.8%5.1%3.8%4.5%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.00.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers4.2full-time equivalent, 6 people
Pupils per teacher13.1Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers83%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants2.2full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£52,402
Teachers who left in the year0%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher5.62022/23

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£9,795England £7,738. Total £529k
Income per pupil£10,540England £7,697. Total £569k
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,706England £3,480
Money in reserve17%A healthy amount put by: £95k, £1,767 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£40kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£9,795spent 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 m1712 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate67 per 1,000 people26% lower than the England average
Typical house price£259,000South Derbyshire
Nearest bus stop100 mSt Peters Church, 7 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
Overseal Primary SchoolCouncil1.9 miles204Report card 202642Compare
Linton Primary SchoolFoundation2.3 miles278No overall grade 202448Compare
Oakthorpe Primary SchoolAcademy2.3 miles80Good 201946Compare
Donisthorpe Primary SchoolAcademy2.4 miles207Not inspected36Compare
St Andrew's Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy2.4 miles47No overall grade 202572Compare
Sir John Moore Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England2.8 miles110Good 202048Compare
Measham Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy3.0 miles176No overall grade 202424Compare
Coton-in-the-Elms Cof E Primary SchoolChurch of England3.0 miles140Good 202330Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Netherseal St Peter's CofE (C) Primary School with the 46 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 46 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats65%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 39 is 8 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 31 · highest 95100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 46 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Netherseal St Peter's CofE (C) 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
Egginton Primary SchoolCouncil9.6 miles58No overall grade 202556Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 39 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 39% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 10 to 79. 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 years25%below
-0.13
2024 results; 12 pupils
Ofsted inspection19% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.3 years old
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.14
Contextualised attainment (no DfE progress measure available); 12 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well below
-0.14
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.09
2024/25; 52 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%above
+0.07
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 12 pupils
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 Netherseal St Peter's CofE (C) Primary School a good school?

It is about average. Netherseal St Peter's CofE (C) Primary School scores 39 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 65% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 10 to 79, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Netherseal St Peter's CofE (C) Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Netherseal St Peter's CofE (C) Primary School good at its last full inspection on 23 May 2023.

How many pupils does Netherseal St Peter's CofE (C) Primary School have?

55 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 70 places, so it is 79% full.

Is Netherseal St Peter's CofE (C) Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 15 places were empty in 2024/25 (21% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Netherseal St Peter's CofE (C) Primary School?

Pupils were in school 93.6% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 19% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Netherseal St Peter's CofE (C) Primary School?

The average class had 18.3 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
Main Street, Swadlincote, DE12 8BZ
Telephone
01283 760283
Website
www.netherseal.derbyshire.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Melanie Machell
Type of school
Church of England school (voluntary controlled) (Voluntary controlled school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Derby
Local authority
Derbyshire
Ward
Seales
Constituency
South Derbyshire
Setting
Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
112844 · LAESTAB 8303074 · UKPRN 10074890

Where these figures come from