Chapel-en-le-Frith High School

Chapel-en-le-Frith High School is a maintained 11–16 mixed comprehensive with 943 pupils and a specially resourced provision for pupils with moderate learning difficulties and/or complex needs. This was its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and, under the arrangements introduced in September 2024, it received no overall effectiveness grade; it was judged good in quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management, matching its previous good grade. Pupils are happy, feel safe and are well cared for in an inclusive, calm and orderly school. The school’s main strengths are an ambitious, well-designed curriculum, strong teacher subject knowledge and effective support for pupils with SEND. Most pupils, including those with SEND, achieve well. Behaviour has improved following recent changes, pupils are polite and respectful, and personal development is well served through the ‘learning for life’ programme, careers work and a range of clubs, trips and pupil roles. Safeguarding is effective, staff are proud to work there, and governors and leaders have accurate oversight and a clear moral purpose. The main areas for improvement are inconsistency in checking pupils’ understanding and in providing timely, precise literacy support. Some teachers do not identify and resolve gaps or misconceptions quickly enough, so some pupils, including some disadvantaged pupils, do not learn as well as they could. Some pupils who need extra help with reading, writing or communication do not get the right support quickly enough, which can slow their catch-up and limit access to the full curriculum. Some parents would like more communication, and the school has begun work on this.

Strengths

• Inclusive, happy school with positive staff-pupil relationships
• High expectations for learning and behaviour
• Most pupils, including those with SEND, achieve well
• Pupils feel safe and say bullying is rare
• Calm, orderly and polite school culture
• Recent behaviour system changes have had a positive impact
• Ambitious, well-designed curriculum across subjects
• Strong teacher subject knowledge and clear explanations
• Effective identification and support for pupils with SEND
• Reading is prioritised
• Strong personal development through the ‘learning for life’ programme
• Good careers programme and wide range of clubs, trips and pupil roles
• Leaders are considerate of staff workload and well-being
• Governors know the school well and carry out their role diligently
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• Some teachers do not check pupils’ understanding systematically, so gaps and misconceptions persist
• Some disadvantaged pupils do not learn as well as they could because gaps are not resolved quickly
• Literacy support is not always timely or precise, so some pupils do not catch up quickly enough
• Some pupils miss out on other subject experiences because their literacy needs are not met swiftly
• Some parents would like more communication from the school

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 Chapel-en-le-Frith High School attended 92.1% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 19.8% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

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, 3.8% of pupils at Chapel-en-le-Frith High School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 4 pupils were 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 Chapel-en-le-Frith High School had 16.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

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, 6.8% of pupils at Chapel-en-le-Frith High School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 9.8% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 44 pupils.

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 secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Chapel-en-le-Frith High School received £9,193 and spent £9,266 for each of its 941 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £235,000 (-£250 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 High Peak · Derbyshire local authority: places and applications

What is Chapel-en-le-Frith High School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Chapel-en-le-Frith High School is Good, from an inspection in November 2024.

When was Chapel-en-le-Frith High School last inspected by Ofsted?

Chapel-en-le-Frith High School was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does Chapel-en-le-Frith High School have?

Chapel-en-le-Frith High School has 941 pupils on roll.

What age range does Chapel-en-le-Frith High School cover?

Chapel-en-le-Frith High School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Chapel-en-le-Frith High School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 48.9, and 48% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Chapel-en-le-Frith High School?

Chapel-en-le-Frith High School is at Long Lane, Chapel-en-le-Frith, High Peak, Derbyshire, SK23 0TQ.