Highfield Hall Primary School

About Highfield Hall Primary School

Highfield Hall Primary School in Chesterfield holds a Good rating from Ofsted, a significant improvement from its previous Requires improvement judgement. The school's most recent graded inspection was in 2016, and an ungraded visit in 2025 noted that some aspects were not as strong, though the overall effectiveness remained Good. When it comes to academic outcomes, the most telling metric is the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which stood at 46% in the 2023/24 academic year. That is notably below the Derbyshire local authority average of 59%, and it places the school 20th out of 25 primary schools in Chesterfield. In the East Midlands region, Highfield Hall ranks 1116th out of 1353 schools, putting it in the bottom half nationally. The school's ranking score of 46 places it in the bottom 50 tier overall.

Looking more closely at the individual Key Stage 2 results, the picture is mixed. In reading, 70% of pupils met the expected standard and the average score was 102, while in maths 67% met the expected standard with the same average score of 102. Writing was weaker, with 60% reaching the expected standard and only 8% achieving a higher standard. Just 5% of pupils reached the higher standard across all three subjects. The school's Progress 8 scores are not available, so it is difficult to say how much value the school adds relative to pupils' starting points. The Parent View survey, completed by 69 respondents, shows that 88% of parents agree or strongly agree that their child is happy at the school, and 86% feel their child is safe. However, only 57% agree that concerns are dealt with properly, and 35% would not recommend the school to another parent.

Highfield Hall is a mixed primary school for children aged 3 to 11, with a nursery on site. It has capacity for 460 pupils and currently has 390 on roll. The school is oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 intake, there were 82 applications for 42 places, with 38 first-preference offers made. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is 30.5%, well above the national average. The school offers a range of facilities including a sensory room, forest school, music rooms and an ICT suite, and runs clubs such as art, chess and gardening. Sports on offer include athletics, cricket, dance, football, netball, rounders and tennis. The school has a broad SEND offer, with provisions for autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language communication needs, social and emotional mental health, and moderate to severe learning difficulties. This is a school that has made progress from a previous Requires improvement rating but still faces challenges in lifting academic outcomes to match the local average.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About Highfield Hall Primary School

Helpful Guides for Parents