St Peter and St Paul School Review 2026, a small independent prep with a clear values spine

For a prep like this, parents usually want two things: how pupils perform in core areas by the end of Year 6, and how confidently they move on to senior schools.

The school publishes its own annual outcomes summary for 2024 to 25. In Reception, 92% of pupils achieved a Good Level of Development, with the comparison figure shown as 65%. For Year 1 phonics, the school reports a 92% pass rate against a comparison figure shown as 81%.

At the end of Key Stage 2, the school reports the proportion meeting or exceeding expected standards as 85% in reading, 92% in grammar, punctuation and spelling, 100% in mathematics, 85% in writing, and 100% in science. It also reports substantial proportions working at greater depth within the expected standard, including 53% in reading, 42% in grammar, punctuation and spelling, 42% in mathematics, 25% in writing and 74% in science.

These are strong-looking internal headlines, but the more useful parent takeaway is what they imply for day-to-day learning: high expectations for basic fluency, plus extension for those ready to go further. The inspection narrative reinforces this, describing carefully planned lessons, effective teaching methods overall, and consistently good progress.

Curriculum design is presented as broad and deliberately practical. The inspection describes educational trips and visiting speakers as an embedded enhancement, used to deepen topic understanding rather than as occasional treats.

Languages begin early, and the school explicitly exceeds the National Curriculum expectation by teaching two Romance languages. Spanish is taught weekly from Reception, moving from speaking and listening via songs and games towards written work in Years 1 and 2. From Year 3, French is added alongside Spanish, with increasing emphasis on reading, writing and translation.

A distinctive strand is “Life Skills”, a weekly programme from Reception onwards. In Pre-Prep, this includes weekly Forest School, delivered in the school’s own woodland setting, with the stated intent of building independence and resilience through supported risk-taking and practical problem solving. In Prep, the programme becomes a four-year sequence that can include climbing, debating, British Sign Language, drama, swimming and orienteering, and it builds towards a five-day residential experience in Years 5 and 6.

The inspection’s development points are worth treating as a real-world caveat: it recommends stronger use of assessment data to inform teaching, planning and target setting, and it also highlights the need for sufficient challenge so pupils can achieve as well as possible. These are not unusual next steps in a small-school context, but they are relevant if your child needs either consistent extension or tightly targeted support to keep momentum.

As a prep that ends at Year 6, the destination story is a core part of the value proposition. The inspection describes pupils being successful in gaining places at local senior schools, including many that are academically selective.

The school also frames Year 6 as a preparation year for a variety of entrance and scholarship routes, and it publishes scholarship detail. It reports that in 2023, seven pupils were awarded scholarships to their secondary school of choice in academics and sport, described as nearly 40% of the year group.

The 2024 to 25 academic results summary adds another headline: a 100% pass rate for entrance examinations, with pupils accepted on scholarships and awards to local maintained secondary and independent schools. (The school does not list named destinations on that sheet, so parents should treat the statement as a directional signal rather than a complete destinations breakdown.)

For families comparing options, this is a good moment to use FindMySchool’s Saved Schools feature to keep a shortlist of likely senior routes alongside your preferred prep, then track open events and application steps in one place.

Admissions are direct to the school, and the published process is intentionally simple. The steps are: visit and tour, register and complete the registration form, and use a taster day where appropriate. If a place is available and the earlier steps are satisfactorily completed, the school sends an offer and an acceptance form. Confirmation follows once the signed acceptance form and deposit are received.

The non-refundable registration fee is £100, and the placement deposit is £250. The deposit is described as refundable on completion of Year 6, and it is also described as being used to offset any unpaid additional costs in the final term if necessary.

For 2026 entry, the school publishes at least one fixed open event date: Saturday 14 March 2026. Beyond that, the messaging points families towards weekday visits and taster days, which usually indicates a rolling admissions rhythm dependent on year-group capacity.

Pastoral language is explicit and values-led. The “Guiding Star” framework is described as being applied by trustees, staff, pupils and parents, with an emphasis on shared responsibility and consistent language across the community.

On the practical side, the inspection describes clear behavioural guidelines known to pupils and staff, with pupils characterised as polite and helpful, and bullying described as virtually non-existent, with issues handled promptly. While parents should still ask how concerns are recorded and escalated, this suggests a small-school advantage: adults tend to know the children well and notice patterns early.

There is also evidence of structured wellbeing teaching. The pastoral page references PSHE through the Jigsaw programme and highlights regular one-to-one time with class teachers. The Life Skills programme adds a wellbeing strand in its planned sequence.

The enrichment programme is published termly and shows a mix of sport, creative, academic and wellbeing options. In Spring Term 2026, examples include Coding Club, Languages and Culture Club, Media Club, Chamber Choir, Reading for Pleasure, STEM Club, Sustainability Club, Wellbeing Club, Quiz Club, Construction Club, Costume and Fashion Design, and Nature and Eco Trail.

The key here is not the number of clubs, it is the breadth of “identity lanes” a pupil can try out without needing to be labelled early. A child who is not sports-first can still have a weekly rhythm that includes coding, choir, reading and eco activities, while a sport-leaning child can add football or netball alongside core lessons.

Performance is a major pillar. Music is taught by specialists, with the school reporting that over 50% of pupils learn at least one instrument, and that pupils are prepared for ABRSM examinations. Drama is framed as inclusive rather than selective, beginning with a Reception nativity and building through year-group productions. The school also notes choir performances across the year, including an annual Advent Service at Crooked Spire.

Sports provision is described as being delivered by a team of specialists, with a weekly “traditional games” session in Prep that covers rugby, hockey, football, netball, cricket, and rounders, plus competitive fixtures and house events. Pre-Prep swimming is weekly, and older pupils continue swimming through the Life Skills strand.

Fees for 2025 to 26 are published per term and include lunch, snacks and educational materials. Reception to Year 2 is £4,442.33 per term; Year 3 to Year 6 is £4,700.61 per term. VAT is stated as included in fees from January 2025.

One-off and joining costs are also set out: the registration fee is £100, and the placement deposit is £250. The school also publishes sibling fee reductions for families with two or more children attending at the same time, and notes a further discount for serving members of HM Forces (details on request).

Beyond tuition, families should plan for typical extras such as uniform, trips and visiting music or LAMDA lessons, where the school indicates charges are set by visiting teachers. Wraparound care has separate session fees, which can add up for families using after-school provision most days.

Wraparound is clearly structured. Breakfast Club runs from 7.30am and leads into the start of the school day at 8.30am. After school, the children’s club runs from 3.45pm to 6.00pm, with multiple session options including a supper provision in the later slot.

Transport is available via morning-only minibus routes from surrounding areas on weekdays, driven by qualified school staff. If you are weighing travel time, it is worth mapping your likely journey and then checking whether the minibus route reduces the daily load for your child.

Term dates for 2025 to 26 are published, including a 12 noon finish on the final day of the Autumn Term. Families who rely on wraparound should plan for those early-finish days and confirm holiday club coverage for the specific weeks they need.

• Small cohorts, visible outcomes. In a small prep, each child’s trajectory is more noticeable. That suits many pupils, but children who prefer to blend in may find the attention level higher than in a larger school.

• Assessment and stretch are a current improvement focus. The latest inspection recommends stronger use of assessment data and sufficient challenge for pupils to achieve as well as possible. Ask how this is being implemented in each year group, especially if your child needs consistent extension.

• Senior school choice is a central project. The school explicitly prepares pupils for a range of entrance and scholarship routes, and publishes scholarship outcomes. Families wanting a more “local comprehensive by default” pathway should clarify how much entrance-exam culture will be present in Year 6.

• Wraparound costs. Breakfast and after-school provision are well defined, but they are paid add-ons. If you need daily wraparound, total annual cost can look materially different from tuition alone.

This is a values-led independent prep that puts real weight on confidence, contribution and breadth, then backs it up with structured programmes such as Life Skills, early languages, performance, and a published enrichment timetable. The latest inspection confirms that required standards are met and highlights wellbeing, behaviour and community contribution as strengths, while also pointing to assessment use and challenge as the key next steps.

Who it suits: families seeking a small co-educational prep in the Chesterfield area with wraparound care, a visible senior-school preparation pathway, and a curriculum that includes outdoor learning, languages and performance alongside core academics.