Simmondley Primary School

About Simmondley Primary School

Simmondley Primary School sits right on the Derbyshire local authority average for the key measure of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at Key Stage 2, with 59% achieving that benchmark. That puts it in the middle of the pack locally, ranked 124th out of 353 primary schools in the county. The school's overall Ofsted rating is Good, a significant improvement from its previous inspection when it was judged to Require Improvement. In its most recent graded inspection, inspectors rated both leadership and management and early years provision as Good, and an ungraded visit in November 2024 confirmed that standards have been maintained. With 294 pupils on roll against a capacity of 315, the school is not yet full, though it was oversubscribed for 2025/26 entry, receiving 59 applications for 42 places and offering all 42 to first-preference families.

Looking more closely at the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, the picture is mixed. While the proportion reaching the expected standard in reading (75%) and writing (73%) is solid, maths is a weaker spot at 64%. The proportion reaching the higher standard in reading, writing and maths combined is just 5%, and only 16% hit the higher standard in maths. Average scores tell a similar story: reading sits at 107, above the national average, but maths is 104, in line with the national figure. The school's ranking within the High Peak local authority area is 12th out of 34 schools, placing it in the top half locally, though nationally it falls in the bottom 50% of primary schools on the combined expected standard metric. There is no Progress 8 data available for this school, so it is hard to say how much value the school adds relative to pupils' starting points.

The school offers a decent range of facilities for a primary, including a library, sports hall, music rooms, a sensory room and a Forest School area. Sports on offer include football, cricket, rounders and tennis, and clubs range from coding and book club to eco club and film club. SEND provision covers specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, speech, language and communication needs, autistic spectrum disorder, and social, emotional and mental health support. Parent View responses, collected from 97 families between September 2024 and September 2025, are largely positive: 92% of parents agree or strongly agree that their child is happy, and 98% feel their child is safe. However, only 67% agree that concerns are dealt with properly, and a notable 33% of parents with SEND children disagree that the school gives them the support they need. This is a school that suits families looking for a solid, improving local primary with good facilities and a strong sense of safety, but those with children who have additional needs may want to investigate SEND support more closely before applying.

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