New Mills School
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New Mills School is a council school in High Peak for boys and girls aged 11 to 16. It has 692 pupils and room for 750. About 27 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, about the same as most schools in England. We give it 53 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 63% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2025, no overall grade.
Church Lane, New Mills, High Peak, SK22 4NR01663 743284newmillsschool.co.ukMrs Heather Watts headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 11 March 2025, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Not judged Between September 2024 and November 2025, Ofsted graded each area but stopped giving one overall word.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
123 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
All GCSE measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 | Derbyshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 123 | 127 | 132 | 86 | 82 | 94 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 44.5 | 49.6 | 44.1 | 46.7 | 44.2 | 44.9 | 44.8 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | +0.18 | -0.11 | -0.06 | -0.41 | -0.14 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 30% | 49% | 37% | 41% | 37% | 33% | 42% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 65% | 65% | 63% | 66% | 65% | 64% | 64% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 3.76 | 4.06 | 3.77 | 3.73 | 3.59 | 3.83 | 3.89 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 31% | 24% | 30% | 19% | 24% | 31% | 28% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 34.9 | 38.7 | 32.9 | 33.5 | 33.9 | 32.4 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 48.6 | 51.6 | 46.9 | 50.5 | 49.5 | 49.0 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 33.3 | 24.7 | 38.4 | 20.2 | 23.6 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 66.5 | 68.5 | 66.9 | 55.2 | 60.3 | – | – |
Subjects
Results came out for 14 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
Subjects that did worse than the England average: Mathematics (35% here, 53% across England), French (45% here, 60% across England), History (39% here, 52% across England).
The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.
Every subject against England, 2025
| Subject | Entries | Grades 9 to 7 | Grades 9 to 5 | Grades 9 to 4 | England 9 to 5 | Rank in England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 123 | 7% | 35% | 68% | 53% | 2,756 of 3,211 |
| English Language | 123 | 13% | 50% | 70% | 54% | 1,812 of 3,210 |
| English Literature | 122 | 12% | 53% | 75% | 58% | 1,857 of 3,202 |
| Combined Science | 109 | 5% | 31% | 58% | 36% | 1,770 of 3,084 |
| History | 71 | 13% | 39% | 55% | 52% | 2,289 of 3,126 |
| Geography | 40 | 15% | 63% | 73% | 51% | 730 of 3,116 |
| Art and Design | 29 | 52% | 93% | 97% | 58% | 134 of 2,818 |
| French | 20 | 25% | 45% | 65% | 60% | 1,523 of 1,974 |
| German | 18 | 28% | 83% | 100% | 63% | – |
| Spanish | 16 | 13% | 63% | 69% | 54% | – |
| Biology | 14 | 29% | 79% | 79% | 82% | – |
| Computer Science | 13 | 0% | 46% | 69% | 56% | – |
| Physics | 11 | 46% | 100% | 100% | 82% | – |
| Chemistry | 11 | 36% | 100% | 100% | 81% | – |
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, 2017
65 students finished sixth-form courses.
All sixth-form measures, year by year
| Measure | 2017 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|
| Students | 65 | 86 |
| Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry | 26.22 | 30.13 |
| Average A level grade | C- | C |
| Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS | 27.52 | 26.85 |
| AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects | 3% | 0% |
| A level progressA level value added | +0.04 | +0.03 |
| Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed | 94% | – |
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. 1 of the 3 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
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
Open to all. There is no entrance test.
About 78 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have grown by 10% since 2021/22, so places are getting harder to come by.
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.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (39), Autistic spectrum disorder (31), language and communications needs (31), Specific learning difficulty (26), Moderate learning difficulty (9), Physical disability (4).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 692 | 680 | 660 | 670 | 611 | 621 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 27% | 28% | 23% | 19% | 17% | 15% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 4% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 2% | 2% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 17% | 19% | 23% | 24% | 23% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 4% | 3% | 2% | 3% | 3% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 91.9% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 8.1% | 8.4% | 11.2% | 10.9% | 5.7% | 5.2% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 6.0% | 5.7% | 7.6% | 8.0% | 4.5% | 3.7% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 2.2% | 2.7% | 3.6% | 2.9% | 1.2% | 1.5% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 19.9% | 21.9% | 31.8% | 31.9% | 15.4% | 12.3% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 15.2 | 17.3 | 17.0 | 21.3 | 8.5 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 3 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 0 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 132 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 78%, compared with 90% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 88% | 90% | 93% | 94% |
| Education | 85% | 80% | 85% | 91% |
| Apprenticeship | 3% | 4% | 7% | 2% |
| Work | 0% | 6% | 2% | 1% |
| Not in education, work or training | 8% | 4% | 7% | 6% |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other secondary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
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
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 secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marple Hall School | Academy | 4.4 miles | 1,590 | Good 2023 | – | Compare |
| Chapel-en-le-Frith High School | Council | 4.5 miles | 941 | No overall grade 2024 | 59 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares New Mills School with the 48 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 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 53 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 53% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 42 to 64. 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 at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 20% | in line | -0.05 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 123 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | in line | +0.02 | Ofsted grade, 1.5 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | in line | +0.03 | DfE progress measure; 123 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | above | +0.05 | results and attendance rising year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | in line | +0.03 | 2024/25; 694 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | below | -0.04 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 123 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | below | -0.02 | 132 pupils |
| What parents say | 0% | 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 New Mills School a good school?
It is about average. New Mills School scores 53 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 63% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 42 to 64, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is New Mills School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated New Mills School not judged at its last full inspection on 11 March 2025.
How good are New Mills School's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 30% 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 44.5, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished a little ahead of children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How many pupils does New Mills School have?
692 pupils aged 11 to 16 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 750 places, so it is 92% full.
Is New Mills School oversubscribed?
Probably not. 78 places were empty in 2024/25 (10% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.
What is attendance like at New Mills School?
Pupils were in school 91.9% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 20% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at New Mills School?
The average class had 24.1 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 7% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does New Mills School have a sixth form?
No. Pupils leave after Year 11 for a sixth form elsewhere, a college or an apprenticeship; 88% of 2022/23 leavers were still in education, work or training six months on.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Church Lane, New Mills, High Peak, SK22 4NR
- Telephone
- 01663 743284
- Website
- www.newmillsschool.co.uk
- Headteacher
- Mrs Heather Watts
- Type of school
- Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Local authority
- Derbyshire
- Ward
- New Mills West
- Constituency
- High Peak
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- URN
- 112936 · LAESTAB 8304057 · UKPRN 10004590
Recent changes
- New KS4 results for 2024/25
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, consistent financial reporting 2024/25.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.