School Chooser

William Rhodes Primary and Nursery School

Primary · ages 2-11MixedAcademy192 pupilsNursery Free breakfast clubChesterfieldDerbyshire
School Chooser Score
13
Well below
similar schools
Likely range 6 to 27, so it could be “below”
Out of 100. Better than 44% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedNo overall gradeLast Ofsted inspection, February 2025
Reached the expected level at 1139%England 63%
Attendance94.9%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families60%Far more than most schools
Places18 spare192 pupils, 210 places
Pupils per teacher18.5School workforce census

William Rhodes Primary and Nursery School is a converter academy in Chesterfield for boys and girls aged 2 to 11. It has 192 pupils and room for 210. About 60 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 13 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 44% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2025, no overall grade.

Hunloke Avenue, Boythorpe, Chesterfield, S40 2NR01246 234626williamrhodes.derbyshire.sch.ukMrs Jenny Wilkes headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 25 February 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.

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

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

31 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1139%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level3%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score98.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score100.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 30%30%20172018: 26%26%20182019: 67%67%20192023: 21%21%20232024: 47%47%20242025: 39%39%2025
Since 2017: +9%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure2025202420232019†2018†2017†DerbyshireEngland
Pupils tested313029302727
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths39%47%21%67%26%30%60%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths3%0%0%7%4%0%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score98.0101.095.0104.0101.098.0105.2105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score100.0100.098.0102.097.099.0104.2104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score96.0101.098.0105.0101.0101.0104.6105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard45%53%28%70%56%41%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard52%57%41%67%30%41%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)52%60%48%73%67%52%
Reading progressReading progress score-7.0+3.5-3.3-4.7
Maths progressMaths progress score-4.5+0.3-6.8-4.4
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged46%42%18%64%27%26%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged14%55%25%75%25%38%

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.

† These results are for William Rhodes Primary & Nursery School, the school this one replaced in March 2022. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

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 the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
46%14%
Gap 32 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
50%27%
Gap 23 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
4%3%
Gap 1 ptsEngland 5 pts
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

Admissions policy not published.

Plenty of spare places165 pupils for 210 places, 2024/25
79% full

45 places were empty (21% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 11% 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 roll192Census January 2026
Places21091% full
Pupils from low-income families60%60% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English17%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support19%37 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan6%12 pupils with a plan
Average class size24.07 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils14%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)65%£168,950 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls97 / 95
White British pupils81%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 23.7 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 24.3 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (15), Moderate learning difficulty (14), language and communications needs (11), Autistic spectrum disorder (5), Hearing impairment (3), Specific learning difficulty (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census2026202520242023
Pupils on roll192182169174
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals60%58%59%58%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language17%9%7%10%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support17%12%22%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans7%5%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.9% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance94.9%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school13.2%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils2.22024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.4%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/22†2020/21†2018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.1%6.4%7.6%8.3%4.7%6.1%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.7%5.1%6.0%7.4%3.9%5.0%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.4%1.3%1.6%0.9%0.8%1.2%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence13.2%18.2%24.4%26.7%12.7%18.8%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate2.210.12.95.4
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions0000

† These attendance figures are for William Rhodes Primary & Nursery School, the school this one replaced in March 2022. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Staff and money

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

Teachers10.4full-time equivalent, 11 people
Pupils per teacher18.5Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers91%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants9.9full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£46,956
Teachers who left in the year25%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher0.72024/25

Money

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

Spend per pupil£8,220England £7,128. Total £1.5m
Income per pupil£9,028England £7,587. Total £1.6m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,056England £3,405
Money in reserve14%A healthy amount put by: £221k, £1,250 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£143kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£8,220spent 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 m23612 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate356 per 1,000 people291% higher than the England average
Typical house price£195,000Chesterfield
Nearest bus stop80 mWilliam Rhodes School, 12 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
Walton Peak Flying High AcademyAcademy660 m135Good 202452Compare
Brampton Primary SchoolCouncil760 m286No overall grade 20252Compare
Spire Junior SchoolCouncil980 m154Good 20229Compare
Old Hall Junior SchoolAcademy0.7 miles250Good 202366Compare
St Mary's Catholic PrimaryRoman Catholic0.7 miles433Good 202471Compare
Spire Nursery and Infant SchoolCouncil0.8 miles180Good 202333Compare
Brockwell Junior SchoolCouncil0.9 miles245Good 202271Compare
Brockwell Nursery and Infant SchoolCouncil1.0 miles198Good 202249Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares William Rhodes Primary and Nursery 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.

Beats44%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 13 is about the same as the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 15 · highest 90100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 48 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than William Rhodes Primary and Nursery 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
Mansfield Primary AcademyAcademy12.1 miles226Good 202422Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 13 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 13% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 6 to 27. 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%well below
-0.35
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 31 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 1.5 years old
Progress pupils make20%well below
-0.32
DfE progress measure; 31 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well above
+0.21
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
-0.02
2024/25; 152 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well below
-0.11
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 31 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 William Rhodes Primary and Nursery School a good school?

The figures are weak. William Rhodes Primary and Nursery School scores 13 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 44% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 6 to 27, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been getting better over the last five years.

What is William Rhodes Primary and Nursery School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated William Rhodes Primary and Nursery School not judged at its last full inspection on 25 February 2025.

How good are William Rhodes Primary and Nursery School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 39% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 3% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does William Rhodes Primary and Nursery School have?

192 pupils aged 2 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 210 places, so it is 91% full.

Is William Rhodes Primary and Nursery School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 45 places were empty in 2024/25 (21% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at William Rhodes Primary and Nursery School?

Pupils were in school 94.9% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 13% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at William Rhodes Primary and Nursery School?

The average class had 24.0 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 14% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

Does William Rhodes Primary and Nursery 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
Hunloke Avenue, Boythorpe, Chesterfield, S40 2NR
Telephone
01246 234626
Website
www.williamrhodes.derbyshire.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Jenny Wilkes
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
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 2-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Embark Multi Academy Trust (29 schools)
Local authority
Derbyshire
Ward
Brampton East & Boythorpe
Constituency
Chesterfield
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 March 2022 (academy converter)
URN
148944 · LAESTAB 8302299 · UKPRN 10090063
Formerly
William Rhodes Primary & Nursery School

Where these figures come from