School Chooser

Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedChurch of England42 pupils Free breakfast clubBuxtonDerbyshire
School Chooser ScoreNot scoredThere isn't enough published data yet. To get a score, a school needs results or an inspection plus at least one other figure.
Attendance96.7%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families19%A bit fewer than most schools
Places7 spare42 pupils, 49 places
Pupils per teacher11.5School workforce census
Pupils on roll42Census January 2026

Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is a Church of England school (voluntary controlled) in Buxton for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 42 pupils and room for 49. About 19 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools.

Hernstone Lane, Peak Forest, Buxton, SK17 8EJ0129822074woodlandfederationofpeakdistrictschools.co.ukMrs Andrea Tomlinson headteacherAll details

Ofsted

Ofsted hasn't published an inspection for this school yet.

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
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017DerbyshireEngland
Pupils tested522536
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths67%60%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths33%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score106.0105.2105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score107.0104.2104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score110.0104.6105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard67%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard83%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)83%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged67%

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 places32 pupils for 52 places, 2024/25
62% full

20 places were empty (39% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have grown by 23% 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 the school teaches, from the latest school census.

Pupils on roll42Census January 2026
Places4986% full
Pupils from low-income families19%19% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English0%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support24%10 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan0%0 pupils with a plan
Average class size21.02 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)20%£12,400 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls21 / 21
White British pupils91%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Moderate learning difficulty (5), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (2), Physical disability (1), emotional and mental health (1), language and communications needs (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll423231292628
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals19%16%13%3%4%7%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language0%0%0%0%0%0%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support25%10%14%15%18%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans0%0%0%0%0%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.7%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school7.7%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.7%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence3.3%4.1%4.4%4.6%3.4%3.7%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.6%3.0%3.4%4.1%2.3%2.7%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.7%1.1%1.0%0.4%1.1%1.0%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence7.7%6.9%4.6%4.0%8.3%4.2%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.03.50.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers3.7full-time equivalent, 5 people
Pupils per teacher11.5Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers80%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants2.0full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£50,197
Teachers who left in the year33%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher5.82024/25

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£12,535England £7,738. Total £401k
Income per pupil£11,978England £7,697. Total £383k
Spent on teachers per pupil£5,666England £3,480
Money in reserve-1%In the red: -£4,569, -£143 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£18kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£12,535spent 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 m812 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate63 per 1,000 people31% lower than the England average
Typical house price£262,000High Peak
Nearest bus stop10 mChurch, 4 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
Peak Dale Primary SchoolCouncil2.4 miles77No overall grade 202418Compare
Dove Holes CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England2.4 miles41Good 202445Compare
Bishop Pursglove CofE (A) Primary SchoolAcademy3.2 miles75Good 202343Compare
Castleton CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England3.2 miles21Good 202426Compare
Chapel-en-le-Frith CofE VC Primary SchoolChurch of England3.4 miles495Good 202318Compare
Bradwell Junior SchoolAcademy3.8 miles41Inadequate 20227Compare
Bradwell CofE (Controlled) Infant School & NurseryChurch of England4.0 miles20Good 202454Compare
Litton CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England4.0 miles42No overall grade 202588Compare

Questions parents ask

Is Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School a good school?

We don't have enough published data to score Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School yet.

How many pupils does Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School have?

42 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 49 places, so it is 86% full.

Is Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 20 places were empty in 2024/25 (39% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?

Pupils were in school 96.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 8% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?

The average class had 21.0 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

Does Peak Forest Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School have a breakfast club?

Yes. It is on the government's free breakfast club programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school.

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

Contact and details

Address
Hernstone Lane, Peak Forest, Buxton, SK17 8EJ
Telephone
0129822074
Website
www.woodlandfederationofpeakdistrictschools.co.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Andrea Tomlinson
Free breakfast club
Yes: on the government's programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school (listed since September 2026).
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
Hope Valley
Constituency
High Peak
Setting
Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
URN
112848 · LAESTAB 8303079 · UKPRN 10074887

Where these figures come from