Whittington Green School
81%
Capacity
649
Pupils
1.9x
Demand
About Whittington Green School
Whittington Green School is a mixed secondary in Chesterfield that currently educates 649 pupils against a capacity of 800, meaning it is operating below its full roll. The proportion of students eligible for free school meals stands at 44.4%, which is significantly higher than the national average and signals a catchment with considerable socio-economic challenge. Despite this, the school is clearly in demand: for the 2025/26 admissions cycle, it received 225 applications for 121 places, an oversubscription ratio of 1.86, and made 112 offers to first-preference families. That level of competition suggests strong local confidence in the school, particularly given its non-selective, non-religious character. The headteacher is Tracey Burnside, and the school serves pupils from age 11 to 16 with no sixth form or nursery provision.
Academically, Whittington Green’s most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2023 rated it Good overall, a clear improvement from its previous Requires Improvement judgement in 2019. Every category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management — was rated Good. In the 2023/24 exam results, pupils achieved a Progress 8 score of -0.15, which is slightly below the local authority average of -0.11 but still within the 'Average' banding nationally. The Attainment 8 score was 41.7, and 63.3% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths. The school’s EBacc entry rate was 21.4%, with 10.2% achieving the full EBacc at grade 4 or above. Within Derbyshire, it ranks 5th out of 9 schools in Chesterfield and 22nd out of 46 across the wider local authority, placing it in the middle of the pack regionally.
The school offers a solid range of facilities including science labs, a sports hall, theatre, tennis courts, playing fields, and an ICT suite, plus specialist music and art studios. Sports provision covers football, netball, rugby, gymnastics, swimming, and dance, while clubs include book club, drama, debate, coding, and gardening. SEND support is extensive, with provisions for dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language challenges, hearing and visual impairments, physical disabilities, and autistic spectrum disorder. This breadth of support, combined with the school’s strong local demand and improved Ofsted rating, makes it a particularly strong option for families in Chesterfield who want a mainstream secondary with a proven track record of supporting pupils from a wide range of backgrounds. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is St Mary's Catholic High School, 3.2 km away.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 16 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | High Street, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, S41 9LG |
| Headteacher | Tracey Burnside |
| Local Authority | Derbyshire |
| Number of Pupils | 649 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 44.4% |
| School Capacity | 649 / 800 (81% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
8 Feb 2023Overall Effectiveness
Good
Source: Ofsted, 22 Mar 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.15)
1897th of 3,141
Nationally
153rd of 273
In East Midlands
5th of 9
In Chesterfield
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make less progress than similar students nationally
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2320%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 50 pupils).
- FE college58%
- School sixth form (stay)20%
- Apprenticeship10%
- Employment4%
- Sixth form college2%
- Not sustained2%
96% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
12Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
13Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed121
225
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
112 families put this school as their 1st choice (50% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Among the highest-disadvantage schools.
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British89.4%
- Asian2.2%
- Mixed2.0%
- White (other)1.5%
- Black0.2%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
5
Total schools
4
Oversubscribed
4
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
Frequently Asked Questions About Whittington Green School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
High Street, Chesterfield
Chesterfield, S41 9LG
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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