In short: Most primary schools here are rated Good or better, about the same as across England. Results at 11 are below England, and results at 16 were above England in 2026. Fewer pupils miss a lot of school than across England.
Chesterfield at a glance
Strong results at 16, weaker results at 11
How Chesterfield's schools compare with England, area by area.
Schools and nurseries5023 primary · 6 secondary · 16 nurseries
Primaries Good or better100%England 96%
Met the standard at 1157%England 62%
Grade 5 in English and maths51%Attainment 8 49.4, England 46.2
Free school meals, primary36%A sign of family income
Missed a lot of school15%England 18%
Top-rated
The highest-rated schools in Chesterfield
Primary and secondary schools are ranked by Eduscope score, which weighs up results, inspections, attendance and more. Nurseries, special and independent schools aren't ranked. A high score isn't everything: always visit.
Inspections, exam results and attendance, next to the figure for England where we have it.
Worked out by Eduscope from each school's published figures. Not an official statistic for this town.
Numbers that sum up Chesterfield
ChesterfieldEngland
Primaries rated Good or Outstanding
Latest Ofsted grade, 17 primaries with one.
100%
England 96%
Close to England
Secondaries rated Good or Outstanding
5 of the 5 with a grade.
100%
England 93%
Above England
Met the expected standard at 11
Reading, writing and maths.
57%
England 62%
Below England
Grade 5 or above in English and maths
At GCSE.
51%
Pupils who miss a lot of school
Missed 1 in 10 days or more. Lower is better.
15%
England 18%
Better than England
Primary pupils on free school meals
A sign of family income, not of school quality.
36%
Ofsted grades
Latest graded inspection for the 24 schools that have one.
100%
Good or Outstanding
Outstanding2
Good22
Requires improvement0
Inadequate0
How it has changed
Chesterfield in blue. There were no tests in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid.
Met the expected standard at 1157% in 2025. England now 62% (dashed line).Grade 5 or above in English and maths51% in 2026.Pupils who miss a lot of school15% in 2025. England now 18% (dashed line).
Living here
What it's like for families
Chesterfield has 50 schools and nurseries.
There are 5% more pupils than in 2018.
36% of primary pupils here get free school meals. Schools get extra money for each of them.
Pupil numbers
Pupils in Chesterfield's state schools each January.
10.8k2018
10.9k2019
11.0k2021
11.2k2022
11.3k2023
11.4k2024
11.4k2025
11.4k2026
Up 5% since 2018. More children can mean popular schools fill up faster.
Free school meals
Out of every 10 primary pupils, how many get free school meals. It's a sign of family income, not of school quality.
Chesterfield36%
Dates to know
Apply through your local council, even for academies and faith schools.
31 OctSecondary deadlineFor children starting Year 7.
15 JanPrimary deadlineFor children starting Reception.
1 MarSecondary offersOffers day for Year 7 places.
16 AprPrimary offersOffers day for Reception places.
Keep up with schools in Chesterfield
Follow any school and we'll email you when it gets a new Ofsted report or new results are out. Nothing else.
Chesterfield has 50 schools, including 26 primary schools, 11 secondary schools, 16 nurseries, 2 independent schools, 4 special schools. Some count in more than one group. You can browse each category using the filters on Eduscope.
What are the best schools in Chesterfield?+
The highest-ranked schools in Chesterfield on Eduscope are St Mary's Catholic High School, A Catholic Voluntary Academy, Brockwell Junior School, Abercrombie Primary School. We rank each state school against schools of the same phase across England on its Ofsted inspection, results and attendance. Independent, special and nursery schools aren't ranked.
What percentage of schools in Chesterfield are rated Good or Outstanding?+
100% of inspected schools in Chesterfield hold a Good or Outstanding Ofsted rating, which is above the England average of 94.8%. This includes 2 schools rated Outstanding and 22 rated Good.
How do primary schools in Chesterfield perform at Key Stage 2?+
Across primary schools in Chesterfield, 57% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths at Key Stage 2. This is based on the latest published results from the Department for Education.
What is the average pupil-teacher ratio in Chesterfield?+
The average pupil-teacher ratio across schools in Chesterfield is 17.4:1. While not a direct measure of class size, this indicates the level of teaching resource available per pupil. Across England it is 17.9:1.
What is the persistent absence rate in Chesterfield schools?+
The persistent absence rate across schools in Chesterfield is 14.7%. A pupil is classed as persistently absent if they miss 10% or more of school sessions. Across England it is 18.1%.
How many pupils attend schools in Chesterfield?+
There are 11,400 pupils enrolled across schools in Chesterfield, with 5,266 in primary and 6,134 in secondary. 33.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals.
How many private schools are in Chesterfield?+
There are 2 independent schools in Chesterfield, all special schools for children with special educational needs, where councils usually pay the fees. You can compare them on Eduscope, including inspection reports where available.
How do I choose the right school in Chesterfield?+
Start by considering your child's age, your location, and whether you prefer a state or independent school. Use Eduscope to compare 50 schools in Chesterfield by Ofsted ratings, exam results, and distance. Filter by school type, gender, religious character, and admissions policy to narrow your options.
Sources: DfE school performance tables, DfE school census and workforce, DfE pupil absence, Ofsted. Photos are stand-ins.
