Abercrombie Primary School
118%
Capacity
247
Pupils
2.6x
Demand
About Abercrombie Primary School
Abercrombie Primary School is a state-funded mixed primary school in Chesterfield, within the Derbyshire local authority, led by headteacher Tracy Gannon. It caters for children aged 3 to 11 and has a nursery provision on site. Among the top-performing primary schools in the same local authority, the highest-ranked peers include Wessington Primary School, Redhill Primary School, and Longford CofE Primary School, each with a perfect ranking score of 100. Abercrombie itself sits at rank 83 out of 353 same-type schools in Derbyshire, placing it comfortably within the top quarter of the authority. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, an ungraded visit in November 2024, confirmed that standards are maintained, and the school retains its Good rating. The previous graded inspection in 2019 had already awarded Good across leadership, early years provision, and overall effectiveness, a notable improvement from the Requires Improvement rating it received in 2017.
Academically, Abercrombie performs well above the local authority average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 67% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths combined, compared to a Derbyshire average of 59%. The school’s average scores in reading (108) and maths (107) are both strong, and the proportion of pupils achieving the higher standard in reading (43%) and maths (40%) is particularly impressive. Writing at the higher standard is lower, at 10%, but 70% of pupils met the expected standard in writing. Nationally, the school ranks in the top 40% of all primary schools, and within the East Midlands region it sits in the 36th percentile. Parent feedback is overwhelmingly positive: 95% of respondents would recommend the school, and 81% strongly agreed that their child is happy there.
The school is clearly popular, with 76 applications for just 29 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, making it oversubscribed by a ratio of 2.62 to one. Of the 32 first-preference applications, 29 were offered places. Facilities include a library, ICT suite, music rooms, playing fields, a forest school, and a gymnasium. The school offers a range of sports such as swimming, netball, and cross country, plus clubs including art, drama, and science. Its SEND provisions are broad, covering autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, social and emotional mental health, and physical disabilities. This combination of strong academic outcomes, high parental satisfaction, and a wide support offer makes Abercrombie a solid choice for families in Chesterfield who want a well-regarded local primary with a nurturing but structured approach.
Key Details
| School Type | Primary (State) |
| Age Range | 3 to 11 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Higher Albert Street, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, S41 7QE |
| Headteacher | Tracy Gannon |
| Local Authority | Derbyshire |
| Number of Pupils | 247 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 25.3% |
| School Capacity | 247 / 210 (118% full) |
| Nursery Classes | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
6 Nov 2024Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (6 Nov 2024): Standards maintained
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 3 Jul 2019. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on KS2 Reading, Writing & Maths (67%)
5513th of 13,686
Nationally
495th of 1,353
In East Midlands
10th of 25
In Chesterfield
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE KS2 Reading, Writing & Maths data
KS2 SATs Results
2023/24Reading, Writing & Maths Combined
67%
Expected Standard
10%
Higher Standard
'22/23
75%
'23/24
67%
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. National expected standard benchmark is around 65%.
Ofsted Parent View
58 responsesWould Recommend This School
Source: Ofsted Parent View (GOV.UK statistical data), Sep – Sep 2025
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
8Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
10Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed29
76
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
32 families put this school as their 1st choice (42% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:55 – 15:20
Source: abercrombie.derbyshire.sch.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Above the national average (25%) — higher-disadvantage intake.
Above the national median (10%) — a meaningful share speak English as an additional language.
Ethnic background
- White British70.9%
- Asian15.0%
- Mixed4.0%
- White (other)2.8%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
Better than half of schools in England.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
10
Total schools
9
Oversubscribed
7
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
Frequently Asked Questions About Abercrombie Primary School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
How to Choose a Primary School
Step-by-step guide to choosing the right primary school
KS2 SATs Explained
A parent's guide to Year 6 SATs and how results are reported
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Contact Information
Higher Albert Street, Chesterfield
Chesterfield, S41 7QE
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
Parent Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience at Abercrombie Primary School!
Write a Review