Dove Holes CofE Primary School

Dove Holes C of E Primary School is performing well overall, with an overall effectiveness rated as good across all evaluated domains. Pupils express pride in their school, appreciating the close-knit environment and high expectations for behaviour, guided by strong values. The curriculum is ambitious and caters to the needs of all pupils, with notable emphasis on reading and personal development. The school is actively working on improvements and aims to realize its carefully considered vision through collaboration among staff. However, there are areas for growth, particularly in the consistent delivery of the curriculum as intended. Some lessons do not fully meet the school's expectations, impacting student learning. Additionally, while the school includes students with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) effectively in many aspects, it must enhance support for these pupils' social and emotional needs to ensure they can thrive in their learning environment.

Strengths

• Strong values underpinning the school's culture.
• Ambitious and well-structured curriculum tailored for mixed-age classes.
• Effective approaches to reading that engage pupils.
• Strong personal development programs that promote aspirations.
• Collaborative environment among staff across the federation.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent curriculum delivery leading to variable learning outcomes.
• Inadequate support for the social and emotional needs of some pupils with SEND.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Dove Holes CofE Primary School attended 94.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 20.0% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 10.2% of pupils at Dove Holes CofE Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Dove Holes CofE Primary School had 10.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 22.2% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 14.6% of pupils at Dove Holes CofE Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.4% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Dove Holes CofE Primary School received £13,144 and spent £12,076 for each of its 41 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £97,000 (£2,373 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Buxton · Derbyshire local authority: places and applications

What is Dove Holes CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Dove Holes CofE Primary School is Good, from an inspection in March 2024.

When was Dove Holes CofE Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Dove Holes CofE Primary School was last inspected in March 2024.

How many pupils does Dove Holes CofE Primary School have?

Dove Holes CofE Primary School has 41 pupils on roll.

What age range does Dove Holes CofE Primary School cover?

Dove Holes CofE Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

Where is Dove Holes CofE Primary School?

Dove Holes CofE Primary School is at Hallsteads, Dove Holes, Buxton, Derbyshire, SK17 8BJ.