The Bolsover School

About The Bolsover School

The Bolsover School’s headline Progress 8 score of -0.32 places it below the Derbyshire local authority average of -0.11 for secondary schools, meaning pupils here make less academic progress from their starting points than the typical student in the county. This is a statistically significant gap, and the school’s national percentile ranking of 73rd places it in the bottom half of schools across England. However, context matters: Bolsover serves a community with a high proportion of disadvantaged pupils, with 37.1% eligible for free school meals, well above the national average. The school’s Attainment 8 score of 41.4 is modest, and its EBacc average point score of 3.61 reflects a curriculum that is not heavily weighted toward the English Baccalaureate, with only 23.1% of pupils entering the EBacc suite of subjects. Despite these headline figures, the school has been rated Good by Ofsted since its 2016 graded inspection, and a 2021 ungraded inspection confirmed it remains Good, suggesting strong leadership and behaviour management under headteacher Matthew Hall.

Digging deeper into the Progress 8 breakdown reveals a mixed picture. The strongest subject area is English, where the progress score is just -0.06, essentially in line with the national average. Maths is weaker at -0.27, and the EBacc subjects overall sit at -0.37, while open subjects (non-EBacc) are the weakest at -0.49. This suggests the school’s core English teaching is a relative strength, but pupils struggle more in maths and the wider academic curriculum. At the basics measure (grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSEs), 39.6% of pupils achieved this benchmark, compared with 60.9% at the grade 4 threshold. The school ranks 28th out of 46 secondary schools in Derbyshire by Progress 8, placing it in the bottom half of the local authority. In the immediate Bolsover area, it ranks 2nd out of 4 schools, so while it is not the strongest performer locally, it is not the weakest either.

The school is oversubscribed for 2025/26, with 283 applications for 167 places and 172 first-preference applications, indicating strong local demand despite the academic results. Facilities are notably extensive for a state secondary, including a swimming pool, theatre, astro turf, chapel, and music rooms, alongside a broad sports programme featuring rowing and gymnastics. The school offers a range of clubs from science to eco club, and its SEND provisions cover specific learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulty, social and emotional needs, and speech and language support. With no sixth form, pupils must plan for post-16 options elsewhere. This school will suit families who value a Good-rated, inclusive community school with strong pastoral care and a wide range of extracurricular opportunities, and who are comfortable with academic results that are below the LA average but reflect the challenges of a high-FSM intake.

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