Netherthorpe School

Netherthorpe School is not currently providing an acceptable standard of education. Inspectors found serious weaknesses in the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management, with GCSE results in 2024 poor and well below national averages. Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities significantly underachieve, and the school is not as inclusive as it should be. Behaviour is disruptive in some lessons, some pupils routinely opt out of lessons, and poor conduct is too often accepted or ignored, although many pupils behave well and are keen to learn.

Strengths

• Pupils are safe and confident that staff will resolve concerns
• Sixth-form students feel extremely well supported and value guided autonomy
• A broad range of extra-curricular clubs is available
• The library is a welcoming asset with valued clubs and reading initiatives
• The PHSE curriculum is thoughtfully and logically sequenced
• Careers education and guidance are a strength of the school
• Staff feel proud to belong to the school and appreciate the family feel
• Some pupils receive effective reading support and improve as a result
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective
• The new trust is acting appropriately and at pace to address weaknesses

Areas for Improvement

• GCSE results are poor and significantly below national averages
• Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND significantly underachieve
• Expectations for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND are too low
• The school has not acted swiftly enough to stem the decline in standards
• Disruptive behaviour is evident in some lessons and poor behaviour is too often ignored
• Some pupils routinely opt out of lessons and wander the school
• The curriculum is inconsistent in quality and does not ensure effective progress
• Curriculum implementation is variable and staff do not routinely understand pupils' starting points
• Checks on pupils' understanding are often ineffective, leaving gaps in learning
• The needs of pupils with SEND are identified but often not successfully addressed
• Reading information is not routinely used to adapt learning, and some pupils cannot access the curriculum
• Suspensions and absence are far too high for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND
• Some pupils do not understand the importance of equality and diversity
• Safeguarding records do not accurately reflect actions taken
• Some concerns about staff workload remain

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 Netherthorpe School attended 88.2% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 30.0% 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, 10.3% of pupils at Netherthorpe School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 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 Netherthorpe School had 15.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 27.1% 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, 15.2% of pupils at Netherthorpe School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.5% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

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 2023–24 Netherthorpe School received £8,077 and spent £8,195 for each of its 1,100 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,709,000 (£1,553 per pupil).

Across all 9 schools of Minerva Learning Trust, income was £7,256 and spending £7,603 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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

Netherthorpe School is part of Minerva Learning Trust, which runs 10 schools. The nearest others:

• Barrow Hill Primary Academy Chesterfield
• Whittington Moor Nursery and Infant Academy Chesterfield
• Dunston Primary and Nursery Academy Chesterfield
• Handsworth Grange Community Sports College Sheffield
• Woodthorpe Primary School Sheffield
• High Storrs School Sheffield
• Chapeltown Academy Sheffield
• Ecclesfield School Sheffield
• Stocksbridge High School Sheffield

What is Netherthorpe School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Netherthorpe School is Inadequate, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was Netherthorpe School last inspected by Ofsted?

Netherthorpe School was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does Netherthorpe School have?

Netherthorpe School has 973 pupils on roll.

What age range does Netherthorpe School cover?

Netherthorpe School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Netherthorpe School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 42.8, and 41% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Netherthorpe School?

Netherthorpe School is at Ralph Road, Staveley, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S43 3PU.