Whittington Green School Review 2026: An inclusive Chesterfield secondary with a clear pastoral core

On High Street in Old Whittington, Whittington Green’s “Dream, Reach, Achieve” line sets the tone quickly. It is the kind of school that signals its priorities in plain language, and backs that up with practical structures that matter day to day, from a named student support centre to published school bus routes.

Whittington Green School is a state secondary school for boys and girls aged 11 to 16 in Chesterfield, South Yorkshire, with a published capacity of 800. The most recent Ofsted inspection rated the school Good. For families, the headline question is fit: a school built around steady routines and relationships, with a strong emphasis on inclusion and support, and a clear transition at 16 because there is no sixth form on site.

The school’s own messaging is direct about ambition and inclusion, and the lived version of that shows up in the way staff talk about knowing pupils well and setting expectations around conduct. There is a strong “we see you” thread running through the official picture: pupils are expected to work hard, but the school also places a premium on pupils feeling safe, listened to, and supported when something is wrong.

Leadership matters here because it has been a period of improvement and consolidation, and the tone is purposeful rather than flashy. Mrs Tracey Burnside is named as headteacher, and the wider organisation reads as structured and organised: named roles for safeguarding, special educational needs and careers signal that families are meant to know who does what, and where to go for help.

What makes that atmosphere feel meaningful for parents is the detail around support. Pupils are directed towards a student support centre for worries including bullying, and the language around relationships is consistent: staff-pupil relationships are presented as a strength, and expectations are described as high but not cold. If you are choosing a school for a child who needs calm, clear boundaries, this is the sort of framing that tends to matter more than marketing.

GCSE results

Whittington Green’s headline secondary measures sit on the modest side, and it is best read as a school where progress and confidence-building are at least as important as chasing a narrow definition of academic prestige. Ranked 2,945th in England and 6th in Chesterfield for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), the school sits below England average overall on this particular measure.

The Attainment 8 score is 41.7 and Progress 8 is -0.15, which indicates students make slightly less progress across eight subjects than pupils in England with similar starting points. The picture is also distinctive around the English Baccalaureate: 5.1% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in the EBacc, and the EBacc average point score is 3.57 compared with the England figure of 4.08. For some families, that reads as a cue about curriculum pathways and priorities: students whose strengths sit outside the EBacc suite may find the school’s offer a better fit than a school that pushes EBacc entry as the default.

If you are comparing nearby options, this is where FindMySchool’s local comparison tools help: looking at Attainment 8, Progress 8 and the local ranking side by side often gives a clearer picture than a single headline judgement.

Reading is treated as a whole-school priority, with explicit attention to vocabulary and access to more challenging texts. That matters because it is one of the most reliable levers for improvement across subjects, especially for students who arrive in Year 7 needing to build confidence and fluency. For families, the practical implication is that literacy is not left to English alone; it is framed as a shared responsibility.

The curriculum intent is described as carefully sequenced in most subjects, with teachers using tasks designed to secure important knowledge before moving on. This is the kind of detail that usually correlates with calmer classrooms and fewer “gaps” later on. It also comes with an honest edge: some subject areas are still described as less well planned than others, which is a useful prompt for questions at open evening, especially if your child has a clear favourite subject or a known weakness.

Support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities is described as high-quality, with attention to planning and review that includes pupils and parents. The best version of this is both practical and dignified: clear guidance for teachers, consistent adjustments in class, and a sense that students are expected to achieve well with the right scaffolding rather than being written off.

Because Whittington Green is an 11 to 16 school, Year 11 is a genuine handover point. The next step is not a simple “stay on for sixth form” decision; it is a transition into a college, sixth form centre, training route or apprenticeship pathway, often with new travel patterns and a new peer group. The school’s careers work includes a Careers Fair, positioned as a chance for students to speak to a range of providers, including former students.

The school also publishes local authority progression reporting for leavers, which gives a rare, concrete snapshot of what happens after GCSEs. For 2023 leavers, the report records 71 of 73 young people (97.3%) in full-time education as of 1 November, with 16 (21.9%) on GCE A-level routes. The same report shows substantial numbers on vocational pathways: 19 (26.0%) at NVQ Level 3 or equivalent, 18 (24.7%) at NVQ Level 2 or equivalent, and 13 (17.8%) at NVQ Level 1 or equivalent. It also records 2 of 73 (2.7%) as NEET. For families, the key point is that post-16 routes are varied here, and the school appears to support multiple definitions of success, not just a single sixth form pipeline.

Routes and criteria

Admissions to Whittington Green School are managed by Derbyshire County Council, rather than being handled directly by the school. In the latest available admissions demand data, there were 225 applications for 121 offers, around 1.86 applications per place. That is enough competition to make “back-up preferences” feel sensible, even if Whittington Green is your first choice.

For families new to the local system, it is worth remembering that most coordinated admissions processes are about ranking preferences, not gaming the order. The practical job is to understand whether you are realistically placed for an offer, and to choose preferences that match your child as well as your address.

Timeline and practicalities

Derbyshire’s published secondary admissions timetable gives the core rhythm: applications open in early September, with a closing date at the end of October, and offers released on national offer day in early March. Whittington Green’s own open evening announcements show that school visits for prospective families typically sit in September, with some years running into early October.

If you are weighing more than one option, using FindMySchool’s map tools to sanity-check travel time and day-to-day logistics can be as important as comparing results. A school can be a great match on paper, but the commute shapes everything from punctuality to whether clubs are realistic.

The pastoral picture is one of the school’s clearer strengths. A named student support centre is positioned as a place pupils can go with worries, including bullying, and the overall emphasis is on problems being heard and dealt with rather than minimised. For parents, that is the detail that matters, especially for students who are anxious, socially tentative, or rebuilding confidence after a difficult primary experience.

Safeguarding is treated as serious, skilled work, with an emphasis on staff training and partnerships with external agencies. There is explicit attention to helping pupils understand risk, including online safety and what makes a healthy relationship. The school also references local-context risks, including railway safety and crime, which suggests a practical approach to keeping pupils safe rather than a purely theoretical one.

Attendance and behaviour support are framed as structured rather than punitive. The House, described as an attendance support provision, is a useful indicator: it implies there is a dedicated mechanism for getting pupils back into good routines, not just consequences after things have already slid.

Music & performance

Music and performance have unusually specific published detail, which is often a good sign that opportunities are real rather than aspirational. The school’s music development plan describes peripatetic teaching through Derbyshire Music Hub, including one-to-one singing, keyboard or piano, guitar or ukulele, and drum tuition. It also sets out a band club after school, described as involving 16 students across Years 7 to 11, and a singing group that rehearses weekly in form time, described as 15 students.

Performance is not a one-off event. The same plan references a two-night production of High School Musical with a primary matinee, and a musical cabaret evening featuring singers, bands and instrumental solos. There is also a stated structure for student leadership in the arts, including Performing Arts Champions (PACs) and Performing Arts Leaders (PALs). For students who like a clear stage to work towards, that kind of programme can be the difference between “I might join a club” and actually turning up every week.

Clubs & enrichment

The broader enrichment menu includes a mix of creative, practical and physical options. Clubs referenced include sign language, craft and manga, alongside badminton, fitness and basketball. The school also describes pupils taking on roles such as sports leaders, ambassadors, bagel shack volunteers and student librarians, which points to leadership being built through jobs and responsibilities, not just titles.

The library offer adds some distinctive texture. It publishes book-themed clubs such as Books and Biscuits and Manga Club, and it also describes a Paired Reading programme where Year 11 mentors support younger pupils’ reading once a week during form time. Add in the 16 Before 16 Challenge and a student journalist role linked to a student magazine, and you get a picture of enrichment that is not only sporty or performative; it also values quiet confidence, reading identity, and the habit of showing up.

Transport & parking

Chesterfield has a mainline rail station, and the school’s own transport information is unusually detailed around school buses. Published documents outline routes and stops with a named school bus provider, DW Coaches, and there is also a single after-school bus departure with a 4.00pm route. For families who live further out, that can widen the practical radius of the school and make after-school activities more realistic.

The school day

The school publishes different lesson-time patterns by year group. Tutor time starts at 8.35am, and the school day ends at 3.05pm. That clear structure helps families plan the commute and plan evenings, especially when students are juggling clubs, support sessions, or a school bus timetable.

Admissions competition: With 225 applications for 121 offers, entry is competitive (around 1.86 applications per place). Families who are set on Whittington Green should still choose realistic additional preferences that your child would genuinely attend.

Academic profile: The FindMySchool GCSE ranking and measures such as Attainment 8 (41.7) and Progress 8 (-0.15) indicate a school that is not driven by headline outcomes alone. For many students, the right question is not “is it top of the table?”, but “will this school help my child move forward steadily, with the right support and expectations?”.

Curriculum consistency: Teaching is described as well planned in most subjects, but not all. If your child is highly subject-driven, it is worth asking targeted questions about how a particular department sequences learning and checks understanding.

Post-16 transition: With no sixth form, every student makes a move at 16. That can be brilliant for independence and for finding the right course, but it also means thinking early about travel, application timelines, and what kind of setting will suit your teenager next.

Whittington Green School reads as a grounded, organised 11 to 16 secondary where relationships and support structures are not an afterthought. It is not a school defined by top-end academic metrics; it is a school that puts inclusion, clear routines and a broad definition of next steps at the centre.

Best suited to students who will benefit from a calm, orderly environment, strong pastoral systems, and a school culture that values progress and participation as much as raw attainment. The main hurdle is admissions competition, and the defining decision comes at 16, when every student transitions to a new post-16 setting.