Buxworth Primary School

About Buxworth Primary School

Buxworth Primary School sits in the bottom half of Derbyshire primary schools when it comes to the key measure of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at Key Stage 2. The school’s score of 43% is well below the local authority average of 59%, a gap that parents will want to consider carefully. In the High Peak area specifically, the school ranks 25th out of 34 primaries on this metric, placing it in the bottom 50% nationally. However, the picture is not uniformly weak. The school’s average scaled scores in reading and maths both sit at 101, which is exactly the national benchmark score of 100, suggesting that while fewer children are hitting the combined expected standard, those who do are performing solidly. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 27.2%, which is notably above the national average and provides important context for these outcomes.

In its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022, the school was rated Good across every category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision — with all areas scoring 2 out of 4. This represents a consistent performance, as the school also held a Good rating in its previous inspection in 2012. Looking at the KS2 subject breakdown, 57% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, 52% in maths, and 52% in writing. The proportion reaching the higher standard is modest: 10% in maths, 10% in writing, and just 5% in reading. No pupils achieved the higher standard across all three subjects combined. Progress scores are not available in the data, so it is not possible to say how much value the school adds relative to pupils’ starting points, but the raw attainment figures place it firmly below the Derbyshire average.

Buxworth is a small school with 103 pupils on roll, just under its capacity of 105, and it is oversubscribed: for 15 places in the 2025/26 intake, there were 43 applications, with 15 first-preference offers made. That gives an oversubscription ratio of 2.87, meaning nearly three families applied for every place. The school offers a sensory room, art studios, music rooms, playing fields, a library and a chapel, plus clubs including choir, coding, film club, eco club, art club and gardening. Sports on offer include netball, athletics, gymnastics, rounders, cricket and tennis. SEND provision covers social, emotional and mental health needs, autistic spectrum disorder, and other difficulties or disabilities. This is a school that clearly appeals to local families despite its below-average headline results, and it may suit parents who value its small size, range of facilities and inclusive SEND support over raw academic rankings.

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