Find the best primary schools in North East Derbyshire. Compare Ofsted ratings, catchment areas and parent reviews.
North East Derbyshire has 46 primary schools, all in Derbyshire council's area. Most state schools here offer places by distance from home once children in care and siblings of current pupils have been admitted, so how close you live decides your chances at any school with more applicants than places. Some councils draw a fixed catchment boundary instead, and the distance at which the last place went changes every year. Of the 46, 7 are faith schools that can put children of their faith first, so distance counts for less there.
Use the distance checker to measure your home's straight-line distance to any North East Derbyshire primary school, and each school's page for its Ofsted report, results and admissions details. Check your distance to a school or try the admissions calculator.
| School | Type | Our rating |
|---|---|---|
| Penny Acres Primary School | Mixed | 4.9 / 5 |
| Marsh Lane Primary School | Mixed | 4.8 / 5 |
| Lenthall Infant and Nursery School | Mixed | 4.7 / 5 |
| Pilsley Primary School | Mixed | 4.6 / 5 |
| Dronfield Infant School | Mixed | 4.5 / 5 |
| Killamarsh Infant School | Mixed | 4.5 / 5 |
| William Levick Primary School | Mixed | 4.4 / 5 |
| Unstone St Mary's Nursery & Infant School | Mixed |
There are 46 primary schools in North East Derbyshire.
Apply by 15 January for a Reception place starting that September. Children start Reception in the September after their fourth birthday. You apply to the council where you live, even if the school is in another council's area, and can usually list between 3 and 6 schools in order of preference. If you live in North East Derbyshire, that council is Derbyshire. Offers are sent on 16 April, or the next working day.
Of the 46 primary schools in North East Derbyshire, 7 have a religious character: 5 Church of England, 1 Church of England/Methodist and 1 Roman Catholic. When a faith school has more applicants than places, it can give priority to children of its faith. Many ask for a supplementary form, sometimes signed by a religious leader, so read the school's admissions policy before you apply.
On our star rating, the highest rated are Penny Acres Primary School (4.9), Marsh Lane Primary School (4.8), Lenthall Infant and Nursery School (4.7), Pilsley Primary School (4.6) and Dronfield Infant School (4.5). The rating is our own, out of 5. It combines Parent View survey results, the latest Ofsted inspection and SATs results, with the parent survey carrying the most weight. Of the 46 schools here, 41 have enough published data for a rating.
| 4.4 / 5 |
| Walton Holymoorside Primary School | Mixed | 4.3 / 5 |
| Holmesdale Infant School | Mixed | 4.3 / 5 |
| St Andrew's CofE Methodist (Aided) Primary School | Church of England/Methodist | 4.2 / 5 |
| Northfield Junior School | Mixed | 4.2 / 5 |
| Ashover Primary School | Mixed | 4.2 / 5 |
| Gorseybrigg Primary School and Nursery | Mixed | 4.0 / 5 |
| Wigley Primary School | Mixed | 4.0 / 5 |
| Dronfield Stonelow Junior School | Mixed | 4.0 / 5 |
| Deer Park Primary School | Mixed | 3.9 / 5 |
| North Wingfield Primary and Nursery Academy | Mixed | 3.8 / 5 |
| Calow CofE VC Primary School | Church of England | 3.8 / 5 |
| Immaculate Conception Catholic Primary | Roman Catholic | 3.8 / 5 |
| Stretton Handley Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.7 / 5 |
| Wessington Primary School | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| Dronfield Junior School | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| Park House Primary School | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| Holmgate Primary School and Nursery | Mixed | 3.6 / 5 |
| Morton Primary Academy | Mixed | 3.5 / 5 |
| Tupton Primary and Nursery Academy | Mixed | 3.5 / 5 |
| Unstone Junior School | Mixed | 3.5 / 5 |
| Camms CofE (Aided) Primary School | Church of England | 3.5 / 5 |
| Sharley Park Community Primary School | Mixed | 3.5 / 5 |
| Temple Normanton Primary Academy | Mixed | 3.4 / 5 |
| Eckington Junior School | Mixed | 3.4 / 5 |
| Cutthorpe Primary School | Mixed | 3.3 / 5 |
| St Giles CofE Primary School | Church of England | 3.2 / 5 |
| Heath Primary School | Mixed | 3.2 / 5 |
| Barlow CofE Primary School | Church of England | 3.1 / 5 |
| Birk Hill Infant & Nursery School | Mixed | 2.9 / 5 |
| Renishaw Primary School | Mixed | 2.8 / 5 |
| Grassmoor Primary School | Mixed | 2.8 / 5 |
| Killamarsh Junior School | Mixed | 2.8 / 5 |
| Stonebroom Primary and Nursery School | Mixed | 2.5 / 5 |
| Arkwright Primary School | Mixed | Not yet rated |
| Hunloke Park Primary School | Mixed | Not yet rated |
| Mickley Village Primary and Nursery School | Mixed | Not yet rated |
| Ridgeway Primary School | Mixed | Not yet rated |
| Shirland Primary School | Mixed | Not yet rated |
Our rating is out of 5 and combines Parent View survey results, the latest Ofsted inspection and published results. Source: Department for Education (GIAS) and Ofsted.
Only when you qualify for more than one school. Each school ranks applicants against its own admission criteria without knowing where you placed it. If you qualify for several, the council offers the one you ranked highest, so putting a popular school first does not lower your chances at your second choice.
No. Distance only matters when a school has more applicants than places, and then it offers places in the order its admission criteria set out. Children in care or adopted from care come first by law. Most schools put brothers and sisters of current pupils next, then distance or catchment area. Faith schools and grammar schools use different criteria. How far away the last place went changes every year, depending on who applies.
The council offers a place at another school with room, which may be further from home. You can accept it and still join the waiting lists for the schools you preferred. Waiting lists are ranked by the admission criteria, not by how long a child has been on them. You can also appeal to an independent panel for any school that refused you. Appeals for Reception to Year 2 rarely succeed, because infant classes are limited to 30 pupils by law and a panel can only admit above that limit in narrow circumstances.