Primary schools2 · best KS2 results first
Photo: Alan Murray-Rust · CC BY-SA 2.0B+School Grade
Schools in Whaley Bridge · DfE, Ofsted
Whaley Bridge’s state schools outscore 74% of towns in England
Reading, writing and maths at the expected standard: 65% of primary pupils in Whaley Bridge, above both Derbyshire’s towns (60%) and towns in England (62%). 2 state-funded schools are located in Whaley Bridge’s built-up area. Whaley Bridge grades B+ for schools, on Department for Education Key Stage 2 and GCSE results: #11 of 59 in Derbyshire. Ofsted is shown, not graded.
State schools
2
2 primary, 0 secondary
Reading, writing & maths
65%
meet the expected standard at 11 · 2023–25
England’s schools: 62%
Town figures are pupil-weighted across the schools the grade uses; England’s are the average school.
School Grade
Whaley Bridge grades B+ for schools
Against every town in England with results; Wales publishes none.
Primary: reading, writing and maths at 11 (65% meet the standard)Better than 69% of towns in England
The primary figure: 2 primaries in the town, 163 pupils in results over three years. No secondary school with GCSE results is in or within 3 km of Whaley Bridge, so its grade uses its primary schools only. Mainstream state schools only (grammar schools included); special schools, alternative provision, nurseries and 16–19 colleges are listed below but not graded. Each school’s results are compared with every school in England, then weighted by its pupils.
Map
Where Whaley Bridge’s 2 state schools are
Each school at its address, coloured by its own letter and sized by pupils. Open a school for its own page. The dashed shape is Whaley Bridge’s built-up area.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
PrimarySecondarySpecial, nursery, 16–19Size: pupilsABCDNo letter
Most schools give places by distance once siblings are in, so the schools nearest a home matter more than any league table.
Getting a place
How school places work in Whaley Bridge
Derbyshire County Council handles applications for every state school in Whaley Bridge, academies included. You apply to the council where you live, even for a school in another area.
Secondary (starting at 11)Apply by 31 October of Year 6. Offers on 1 March.
Primary (starting in Reception)Apply by 15 January before the September your child starts. Offers on 16 April.
Moving mid-yearApply to the council for an in-year place; it tells you which schools have room.
When a school is full
Every school publishes its admissions rules. Children in care come first, then, at most schools, brothers and sisters of current pupils, then those who live nearest. 1 of Whaley Bridge’s 2 mainstream schools have a religious character; some of them give priority by church attendance, so check each school’s rules. Infant classes are limited to 30 by law. If you’re refused a place, you can appeal to an independent panel.
Useful: Apply for a primary place (GOV.UK) · Apply for a secondary place (GOV.UK) · How admissions criteria work
How full each school is
Pupils on roll as a share of the school’s official capacity. The black tick is 100%.
Taxal and Fernilee86%
Whaley Bridge incl. nursery54%
DfE register of schools (GIAS), January 2026 census. Capacity often excludes a nursery class, so a school with a nursery can show over 100%.
The schools
2 state schools in Whaley Bridge
Each school’s own letter compares its results with every state school in England of the same phase: Key Stage 2 for primaries, GCSEs for secondaries. Open a school for its results, how its letter is worked out, Ofsted and a map.
Letters of Whaley Bridge’s schoolsA 1B 0C 0D 1
Village schools near Whaley Bridge2 · outside any built-up area; Whaley Bridge is the nearest town
Key result: Attainment 8 and grade 5+ English and maths (GCSEs, 2025/26 provisional) for secondaries; the share meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (KS2, DfE’s three-year average) for primaries. Pupils: the January 2026 school census. No letter: an infant or first school (no KS2 tests), a new school, a small cohort DfE suppresses, or a special school, nursery or college. Independent schools aren’t included.
Ofsted
Ofsted inspections
Each school’s latest inspection; report cards replace one-word judgements as schools are re-inspected.
Since November 2025 Ofsted gives each area of a school one of five grades (exceptional, strong standard, expected standard, needs attention, urgent improvement) and says whether safeguarding is met, instead of one overall word. 0 of Whaley Bridge’s 2 state schools have a report card so far; the others show their last inspection under the old framework. Ofsted is never part of the School Grade.
Towns its size
152nd of 626 English towns of 3,000 to 6,000
Ranked by School Grade, best first: the towns either side of Whaley Bridge, and the top and bottom of the group.
| # | Town | Schools | KS2 | Attainment 8 | Grade 5+ E&M |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gnosall Staffordshire | A+ | 83% | — | — |
| … | |||||
| 148 | Theydon Bois Essex | B+ | 64% | 49.8 | 54% |
| 149 | Snaith East Riding of Yorkshire | B+ | 69% | 47.6 | 45% |
| 150 | Chudleigh Devon | B+ | 65% | — | — |
| 151 | Battle East Sussex | B+ | 65% | 48 | 51% |
| 152 | Whaley Bridge Derbyshire | B+ | 65% | — | — |
| 153 | Dersingham Norfolk | B+ | 65% | — | — |
| 154 | Clayton West and Scissett West Yorkshire | B+ | 62% | 51.8 | 59% |
| 155 | Astley Greater Manchester | B+ | 69% | 46.6 | 46% |
| 156 | Lanchester County Durham | B+ | 72% | 45.8 | 43% |
| … | |||||
| 626 | Watchet Somerset | D− | 29% | — | — |
Neighbours
Whaley Bridge and the places around it
Coloured by School Grade.
Furness ValeChinleyNew MillsDisleyChapel-en-le-FrithHayfieldHigh LaneWhaley Bridge
| Town | Schools | KS2 | Att. 8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whaley Bridge 2 schools | B+ | 65% | — |
| Furness Vale 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 1.4 mi | C+ | 57% | 48.5 |
| Chinley 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 2.1 mi | C+ | 56% | 48.9 |
| New Mills 7 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 2.7 mi | C | 52% | 48.5 |
| Disley 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 2.8 mi | B− | 60% | 48.5 |
| Chapel-en-le-Frith 2 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 2.9 mi | C+ | 51% | 48.9 |
| Hayfield 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 4 mi | D | 50% | — |
| High Lane 2 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 4.2 mi | B+ | 60% | 54 |
Whaley Bridge’s schools are graded at least as well as any neighbour’s. Small places often use the schools within 3 km, so neighbours can share schools.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Expected standard at Key Stage 2. The share of 11-year-olds who reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths together, in tests and teacher assessment at the end of primary school. We use DfE’s three-year average (2023–2025) to steady small schools.
- Higher standard. The share working at greater depth in all three. In Whaley Bridge: 10% (England’s average school: 8%).
- Attainment 8. A pupil’s GCSE grades across eight subjects, with English and maths counted twice, added up. 50 is roughly a grade 5 in every subject.
- Grade 5+ in English and maths. A strong pass in both. Grade 4 is a standard pass.
- Provisional. 2025/26 GCSE figures are DfE’s first release; revised figures follow in February, usually within a point.
- Progress 8. Not shown: there is none for 2025/26, because these pupils sat no KS2 tests in 2020 (Covid).
- Free school meals. Pupils eligible for free school meals now, from the January census: the usual measure of how many pupils come from low-income homes.
- Independent schools. Not included: they publish no results comparable with state schools’.
Questions about schools in Whaley Bridge
Are schools in Whaley Bridge good?
Whaley Bridge’s state schools earn a B+ against schools across England: primary results beat 69% of towns in England, on Department for Education Key Stage 2 and GCSE results. School places are handled by Derbyshire council.
What is the best primary school in Whaley Bridge?
On Key Stage 2 results over 2023–25, Taxal and Fernilee CofE Primary School: 79% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, against 62% at the average school in England.
How do I apply for a school place in Whaley Bridge?
Through Derbyshire County Council, for every state school including academies. Secondary applications close on 31 October (offers 1 March); primary on 15 January (offers 16 April).
How many state schools are in Whaley Bridge?
2 open state-funded schools are located in Whaley Bridge’s built-up area: 2 primary, 0 secondary and 0 other (special schools, alternative provision, nurseries and 16–19). Independent schools aren’t included.
Sources: DfE Get Information about Schools (16 October 2026), Key Stage 2 performance tables (2023–2025, three-year average) and Key Stage 4 (2025/26, provisional); Ofsted state-funded school inspections as at 30 September 2026 · DfE Get Information about Schools (16 October 2026), further-education and sixth-form colleges · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.