Dinting Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

About Dinting Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Dinting Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is a small, state-funded primary in High Peak, and the numbers suggest it is a school that local families actively seek out. For the 2025/26 admissions round, the school received 50 applications for just 9 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 5.56 — meaning more than five families applied for every available spot. All nine places went to first-preference applicants, which indicates strong parental confidence. The school does not publish a parent-view recommendation percentage, but the demand alone tells a story. With 121 pupils on roll against a capacity of 182, the school is not at full capacity, yet it remains heavily oversubscribed, likely because its Church of England character and small size appeal to families who want a close-knit, faith-based primary experience. The headteacher is Lynn Elliott, and the school serves children aged 4 to 11.

Academically, Dinting sits in the middle of the pack locally. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 56% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined — just below the Derbyshire local authority average of 59%. The school ranks 14th out of 34 primary schools in High Peak, placing it in the bottom half of the local authority. Individual subject scores are mixed: 78% met expectations in writing, 72% in maths, and 67% in reading. Higher-attaining pupils are relatively few — 11% achieved the higher standard in maths, 6% in reading, and 6% in writing. Average scaled scores were 103 for reading and 102 for maths. In its most recent graded Ofsted inspection (2013), the school was rated Good overall, with Good for leadership and management. A subsequent ungraded inspection in March 2023 confirmed the school remains Good. This is a notable improvement from its previous inspection in 2010, when it was rated Requires Improvement.

The school offers a solid range of facilities for its size, including a sports hall, playing fields, a library, a gymnasium, a sensory room, a forest school area, and a chapel. Sports provision covers rounders, football, tennis, cross country, swimming and netball, while clubs include book club, coding, film club and science club. Dinting has identified SEND provisions for moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, and speech, language and communication needs — so it is equipped to support children with these challenges. The school is not a boarding school, has no sixth form, and does not offer nursery provision. Given its oversubscription, families should apply early and consider its Church of England foundation. This is a school that suits parents who value a faith-based, community-focused primary with a broad extracurricular offer, and who are comfortable with academic results that are slightly below the local average.

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