Skip to content
eduscope

Search

Search for schools, places and postcodes

eduscope

SavedCompareSign in

Schools in Dronfield

A town in Derbyshire

  • Town
  • 17 schools and nurseries
  • 3,516 pupils

In short: Most primary schools here are rated Good or better, about the same as across England. Results at 11 are above England, and results at 16 were above England in 2026. Fewer pupils miss a lot of school than across England.

Three children with backpacks crossing a street
A red-brick school building under a blue sky

Dronfield at a glance

Ahead of England on results at 11

How Dronfield's schools compare with England, area by area.

DfE and Ofsted data, 2014 to 2026How we work this out
  • Schools and nurseries179 primary · 1 secondary · 7 nurseries
  • Primaries Good or better100%England 96%
  • Met the standard at 1170%England 62%
  • Grade 5 in English and maths52%Attainment 8 49.4, England 46.2
  • Free school meals, primary16%A sign of family income
  • Missed a lot of school14%England 18%
Top-rated

The highest-rated schools in Dronfield

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.

All Dronfield primary schools

Top Primary Schools in Dronfield

9 mainstream schools in Dronfield, best first

William Levick Primary School

Dronfield, S18 8YB · State · Primary · Ages 4 to 11

  • Ofsted:Good

Results well above the England average.

27 first choices, 30 offers made

Met the standard at 1181%

England 62%

Days missed
2.7%
Pupils
207
Pupils per teacher
23.2
View school William Levick Primary School
See all 9 primary schools

Top Secondary Schools in Dronfield

1 mainstream schools in Dronfield, best first

Dronfield Henry Fanshawe School

Dronfield, S18 2FZ · State · Secondary · Ages 11 to 18

  • Ofsted:Good

Results above the England average.

294 first choices, 301 offers made

Attainment 8 at 1649.4

England 46.2

Days missed
8.5%
Pupils
1,810
Pupils per teacher
18.9
View school Dronfield Henry Fanshawe School

Nurseries in Dronfield

7 in Dronfield, highest Ofsted grade first

Little Feet

Dronfield, S18 2XR · Nursery

  • Ofsted:Good

Nurseries don't sit tests, so there are no results to compare.

View school Little Feet
See all 7 nurseries

Sixth Forms in Dronfield

1 in Dronfield, by the school's Eduscope score

Dronfield Henry Fanshawe School

Dronfield, S18 2FZ · State · Secondary · Ages 11 to 18

  • Ofsted:Good

Results above the England average.

294 first choices, 301 offers made

Attainment 8 at 1649.4

England 46.2

Days missed
8.5%
Pupils
1,810
Pupils per teacher
18.9
View school Dronfield Henry Fanshawe School
The map

Every school in Dronfield, on one map

Each dot is a school or nursery, coloured by its latest Ofsted grade. Point at a dot to see its name, or use the list.

See them as a list
Show
Dronfield Junior School, Good in every areaDronfield Infant School, Good in every areaWilliam Levick Primary School, GoodHolmesdale Infant School, Good in every areaNorthfield Junior School, GoodLenthall Infant and Nursery School, GoodDronfield Stonelow Junior School, Good or betterSt Andrew's CofE Methodist (Aided) Primary School, GoodDronfield Henry Fanshawe School, GoodGorseybrigg Primary School and Nursery, GoodOnce Upon A Time Daycare Dronfield, GoodDronfield Nursery Limited, GoodSt Andrew's Pre-School, GoodThe Avenue Nursery Dronfield, GoodHill Top Tots Day Nursery Limited, GoodLittle Feet, GoodGosforth Preschool
  • Good12
  • Not graded yet5
Before you apply

Apply through the council where you live

Your home council handles your application, wherever the school is. Living nearby doesn't guarantee a place: each school's admission rules decide.

By age

What's on offer for each age

Pick a stage to see every Dronfield school for that age, with filters for type, faith and Ofsted grade.

More ways to narrow it down

Here's how Dronfield's schools break down by type, faith and more.

Postcodes

Browse Dronfield by postcode

Some areas, like parts of a bigger town, are easiest to find by postcode.

Dronfield vs England

How good are Dronfield's schools?

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 Dronfield

DronfieldEngland

  • Primaries rated Good or Outstanding

    Latest Ofsted grade, 5 primaries with one.

    100%

    England 96%

    Close to England

  • Secondaries rated Good or Outstanding

    1 of the 1 with a grade.

    100%

    England 93%

    Above England

  • Met the expected standard at 11

    Reading, writing and maths.

    70%

    England 62%

    Above England

  • Grade 5 or above in English and maths

    At GCSE.

    52%

  • Pupils who miss a lot of school

    Missed 1 in 10 days or more. Lower is better.

    14%

    England 18%

    Better than England

  • Primary pupils on free school meals

    A sign of family income, not of school quality.

    16%

Ofsted grades

Latest graded inspection for the 6 schools that have one.

100%

Good or Outstanding

  • Outstanding0
  • Good6
  • Requires improvement0
  • Inadequate0

How it has changed

Dronfield in blue. There were no tests in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid.

Met the expected standard at 11
Covid gap50%65%80%20182019202320242025
70% in 2025. England now 62% (dashed line).
Grade 5 or above in English and maths
Covid gap40%55%70%2018201920222023202420252026
52% in 2026.
Pupils who miss a lot of school
Covid gap0%15%30%20142015201620172018201920212022202320242025
14% in 2025. England now 18% (dashed line).
Living here

What it's like for families

Dronfield has 17 schools and nurseries.

Pupil numbers are about the same as in 2018.

16% of primary pupils here get free school meals. Schools get extra money for each of them.

Pupil numbers

Pupils in Dronfield's state schools each January.

Down 1% since 2018.

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.

Dronfield16%

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 Dronfield

Follow any school and we'll email you when it gets a new Ofsted report or new results are out. Nothing else.

Find a school to follow
Questions

Questions parents ask about Dronfield

Nearby areas

How many schools are in Dronfield?

Dronfield has 17 schools, including 9 primary schools, 1 secondary school, 7 nurseries. Some count in more than one group. You can browse each category using the filters on Eduscope.

What are the best schools in Dronfield?

The highest-ranked schools in Dronfield on Eduscope are St Andrew's CofE Methodist (Aided) Primary School, William Levick Primary School, Gorseybrigg Primary School and Nursery. 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 Dronfield are rated Good or Outstanding?

100% of inspected schools in Dronfield hold a Good or Outstanding Ofsted rating, which is above the England average of 94.8%. This includes 0 schools rated Outstanding and 6 rated Good.

How do primary schools in Dronfield perform at Key Stage 2?

Across primary schools in Dronfield, 70% 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 Dronfield?

The average pupil-teacher ratio across schools in Dronfield is 19.7:1. 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 Dronfield schools?

The persistent absence rate across schools in Dronfield is 13.8%. 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 Dronfield?

There are 3,516 pupils enrolled across schools in Dronfield, with 1,706 in primary and 1,810 in secondary. 17.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals.

How do I choose the right school in Dronfield?

Start by considering your child's age, your location, and whether you prefer a state or independent school. Use Eduscope to compare 17 schools in Dronfield 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.

Search

Search for schools, places and postcodes