Derby High School Review 2026: Top-Performing All-Through Independent School in Derbyshire

Derby High School opened in 1892 in Osmaston Road, Derby, before relocating to its current Littleover site in 1959. The school evolved from a girls-only institution until 2019, when it began welcoming boys into Years 7 and 12. Today the school operates as fully co-educational throughout all phases, from Pre-School through Sixth Form. Under the leadership of Mrs Amy Chapman, who became Head in September 2018, the school has established itself as Derbyshire's top performing independent school according to The Sunday Times league tables, maintaining that position for three consecutive years.

The all-through structure means students benefit from seamless progression from age 3 through to university entrance, with the same academic ethos and pastoral support spanning the entire journey. Primary comprises 180 pupils across Pre-School, Reception, and Years 1-6, while the Senior School serves approximately 510 students from Year 7 onwards. This mid-sized independent community creates environments where every pupil remains known personally by staff, yet large enough to offer genuine breadth in subject choices, activities, and social diversity.

Membership of The Heads' Conference (HMC), a selective coalition of leading independent schools across the UK, reflects the school's commitment to academic excellence and educational innovation. The campus sits conveniently on Derby's edge, accessible via bus routes and with parking facilities available, while maintaining the feel of a green, suburban retreat away from urban pressures.

Derby High School in Littleover, Derby has a clear sense of identity shaped by its setting and community. Students move between lessons with direction. Pupils greet staff by name. The Victorian and modern buildings blend character with contemporary learning spaces, creating an environment where heritage and innovation coexist.

The school's Christian foundation in the Anglican tradition underpins its values, yet the community explicitly celebrates religious and cultural diversity. The school website notes that while maintaining Christian values and practice, the community includes families of all faiths and none. This approach enables the school to preserve its Anglican identity without creating barriers for interfaith families. Prayer and collective worship feature in school life, but are presented as part of the school's ethos rather than as selection criteria for admission.

Under Mrs Chapman's six years of leadership, the school has made deliberate choices about its identity. Transitioning from single-sex to co-educational status required careful implementation, yet by 2022 the Senior School became fully co-educational across all year groups, a shift handled thoughtfully while preserving strong pastoral structures. Staff attest to her commitment to maintaining rigorous academic standards while ensuring personal development remains central to the school's mission. The Senior Deputy Head, Anna Jordan, who has been at the school since 2007, speaks to strong staff retention and a genuine community feel; she describes the school as a place where "the challenge of readying young people for life after school is increasingly complex and exciting."

The ISI inspection report remarked on "an excellent sense of community and responsibility towards others" and observed that pupils "are extremely tolerant and caring, and show sense and sensitivity to those from different backgrounds and traditions." This wasn't merely praise for tolerance in the abstract; inspectors noted pupils demonstrated "mature, insightful and perceptive" understanding across daily interactions. The 2023 report highlighted that "excellent moral awareness is deeply embedded into the ethos, values, policies and behavioural practices within the school," with pupils "readily taking responsibility for their own behaviour."

The Refectory, opened in summer 2024, unified the school's dining experience under one roof, enabling the whole school community to dine together. This deliberate choice to create central gathering spaces supports the school's stated priority of building genuine community alongside academic achievement.

In 2024, 64% of all GCSE grades achieved 7-9 (the A and A* equivalent), well above the England average of 54%. The school achieved 20% grade 9 entries, an exceptional achievement that demonstrates the depth of mastery across subjects. These figures place Derby High 251st in England for GCSE performance (FindMySchool ranking), positioning it in the top 10% of schools across England and first among independent schools in Derbyshire.

Entry patterns show broad subject engagement rather than excessive narrowing. Students must take English, Mathematics, and at least one science, alongside choices from languages, humanities, and creative subjects. This curriculum breadth is deliberate. The school's approach ensures that even those pursuing STEM pathways maintain engagement with languages, history, or arts, building the "rounded" understanding parents increasingly seek.

A-level results strengthen the academic picture. In 2024, 75% of grades achieved A*-B, with 27% earning the top A* grade. These figures significantly exceed the England average (where A*-B represents approximately 47% of entries) and place Derby High 186th for A-level performance (FindMySchool ranking), securing a position in the top 10% of schools in England. The school offers 26+ A-level subjects, including less commonly taught options like Classical Greek, Russian, and History of Art, enabling genuine subject specialisation for the post-16 cohort.

The academic rigour is evidenced by university destinations. In 2024, students secured places at Russell Group universities across competitive fields including medicine, law, architecture, engineering, and psychology. The school does not publish granular percentages for Russell Group destinations, but the leadership team notes that the majority of leavers progress to these elite institutions. Most significantly, the school recorded at least one confirmed acceptance to Cambridge University in the measurement period, with additional applications suggesting ongoing strength in Oxbridge pipelines.

The school deliberately maintains small class sizes as a cornerstone of pedagogy. In Primary, average class size is 17 pupils; in Secondary, this increases but remains well below independent school averages of 20-22. This enables teachers to pitch instruction precisely to each learner's needs, provide extensive written feedback, and know every pupil's learning trajectory deeply.

Teaching staff across the school are qualified teachers with strong subject expertise. The ISI inspection noted specifically that pupils benefit from "expert subject knowledge" and that "teaching is characterised by high expectations." Across primary and secondary, inspectors identified "excellent, constructive and helpful feedback," particularly in English, enabling pupils to understand exactly where they stand and what their next steps should be.

The Thinking for Learning (T4L) programme, underpinned by Art Costa's Habits of Mind, runs throughout the primary and secondary school. Concepts like "Taking a Responsible Risk," "Persistence," "Managing Your Impulsivity," and "Creativity" are taught explicitly and reinforced across subjects. Rather than abstract character education, these become student-owned tools integrated into daily work in Mathematics, Science, and Humanities. Year 6 pupils, for example, apply these habits when tackling logic and reasoning problems, building intellectual resilience that transfers to secondary study.

In the Senior School, the curriculum model follows traditional lines with clear subject departments, specialist teaching from Year 7, and rigorous assessment. Science is taught as separate disciplines (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) from the outset, providing depth that supports those pursuing STEM pathways later. The school explicitly avoids teaching to national tests, instead adopting assessment practices aligned with GCSE and A-level demands from the start. This "assessment for learning" approach means pupils develop exam technique naturally rather than through last-minute intervention.

In 2024, approximately 74% of sixth form leavers progressed to university. This figure comes from the school's leaver destination data. The remaining cohort split between further education (3%), apprenticeships (3%), and employment (11%), indicating a deliberate ethos that university attendance is one successful pathway among several.

For those progressing to university, destination data reveals strength in competitive, research-intensive institutions. Beyond Russell Group universities, the school has long-standing links with Durham, Bristol, Exeter, Edinburgh, and Imperial College. Medical school placement remains strong; the 2024 cohort secured 12 medical school places, a significant achievement for any independent school and reflecting rigorous science teaching aligned with the demands of medical selection.

Sixth form students receive dedicated university preparation through the school's Sixth Form Centre, a dedicated facility opened by the Earl of Wessex in 2008. Careers guidance begins in Year 12 and intensifies in Year 13, with professional advisors supporting UCAS processes, personal statements, and interview preparation.

Within the school, transition from primary to secondary occurs naturally for existing pupils. Internal progression from Year 6 to Year 7 is largely automatic for pupils demonstrating readiness; the school assesses throughout Year 6, and those meeting academic and personal development thresholds continue. This removes the disruption of moving schools while maintaining clear academic expectations. Year 5 and 6 pupils are already accustomed to using Senior School facilities, participating in transition days that build familiarity with teachers and spaces.

The school's extracurricular life reflects its commitment to educating the whole person. Sports provision is comprehensive and mandatory throughout the school. Senior students participate in netball, hockey, basketball, athletics, badminton, volleyball, gymnastics, trampolining, cricket, and general fitness programming. The school fields competitive teams in traditional sports while also offering less conventional pursuits; hockey fixtures continue through winter evenings on floodlit surfaces, indicating genuine investment in facilities.

Derby High's fee structure reflects its position as an established, fully resourced independent school. Academic year 2025-26 fees (inclusive of VAT) are as follows:

Pre-School Unit: £2,795 to £3,100 per term (depending on provision and Early Years Funding deductions); £8,900 annually. Government-funded places are available for eligible families.

Reception: £4,415 per term; £13,245 annually.

Years 1-2: £4,560 per term; £13,680 annually.

Junior Years 3-4: £4,655 per term; £13,965 annually.

Junior Years 5-6: £4,850 per term; £14,550 annually.

Senior Years 7-9: £6,175 per term; £18,525 annually.

Senior Years 10-11: £6,425 per term; £19,275 annually.

Senior Years 12-13: £6,490 per term; £19,470 annually.

The fees cover school lunches, textbooks, and travel associated with sports fixtures. Additional costs include uniform, examination fees, individual music lessons, and enrichment trips, charged retrospectively.

Music holds particular prominence. Although exact ensemble numbers aren't published on the school website, the school explicitly identifies music as a pillar of its offering. The Sixth Form Centre, opened in 2008, includes dedicated music facilities, and the school operates a full instrumental programme with visiting peripatetic teachers. Pupils can learn orchestral instruments, piano, and voice; those showing aptitude progress through examination grades.

Drama serves as another major outlet. Productions are mounted regularly throughout the school, with year groups staging performances that range from small class productions to large-scale shows. The Primary School celebrates musical and dramatic achievement through regular performances; sixth formers feature in major productions filmed and shared with the school community.

The school operates scholarship programmes in both Music and Drama, offering candidates the opportunity to demonstrate talent through audition and interview. These awards are merit-based rather than solely financial, although the school does combine scholarships with assisted places for qualified families.

While specific club names are not extensively detailed on the school website, the school emphasises that "a wide variety of clubs and activities" run at lunchtime and after school, with encouragement for pupils to "try something new each term." Clubs appear to run on rotating bases to expose students to diverse interests rather than expecting eternal club membership.

The school is a member of the independent association IAPS (Independent Association of Prep Schools) and operates to their educational standards. This membership signals alignment with leading independent primary practice, including emphasis on breadth, pastoral care, and individual development.

Admission to Primary begins with a visit to the school. The Admissions Manager guides families through the process. For Pre-School and Reception entry, assessment focuses on personal, social, and emotional development and academic readiness through one-to-one meetings with Early Years specialists. For Years 1-2, assessment becomes more curriculum focused, evaluating core English and Maths alongside logic, problem-solving, and reasoning. By Year 3, the assessment format becomes increasingly formal, reflecting each child's age and stage.

The school explicitly states it "appreciates each child's learning will be different" and works to support pupils in reaching their potential. This inclusive language signals openness to learners of varying backgrounds and previous educational experience.

A registration fee of £120 (VAT inclusive) is required with the application form; this is non-refundable. Primary pupils proceed automatically to the Senior School provided their work and progress demonstrates readiness for transition. This progression is not automatic but exceptional, and families are assured of the process during Year 6.

The entrance process is more formal. External candidates sit entrance examinations in January of Year 7, with papers in verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, English, and Mathematics. These are standardised tests designed to assess capability rather than test-specific knowledge. Successful candidates are ranked by score, and offers follow.

Entry at Years 8, 9, and 10 is possible subject to available spaces. Assessments shift focus from abstract reasoning to curriculum-aligned content; candidates also interview with the Head and provide a reference from their current school. A taster day follows, enabling pupils to experience lessons and meet their year group peers. The school's approach balances rigorous assessment with genuine pastoral welcome.

The registration fee is £120 for Senior entry; the deposit to secure a place once offered is £750. These fees are refundable at the end of schooling, subject to all financial obligations being cleared.

Entry to the Sixth Form requires a minimum of seven GCSE passes at grade A*-B (9-6) including English and Maths at grade 5 or above. The school considers applications individually for those slightly below this threshold. Scholarship and Award applications are welcomed in autumn and assessed through subject-specific papers plus auditions and interviews for co-curricular awards. Scholarships begin at £500 discount on full fees.

The school operates an Assisted Places scheme in the Senior School offering financial assistance of up to 50% of fees to qualifying families. Each application is considered individually, and places are subject to annual review. Families are encouraged to meet with the Bursar confidentially to discuss education financing; no family should be deterred by cost alone.

Sibling discounts apply: when three or more siblings attend simultaneously, the youngest receives a 33% reduction on tuition fees (calculated on net fees). This recognises the significant commitment families make to independent education.

The school does not accept payment in instalments directly but has partnered with School Fee Plan, an independent third party, enabling families to spread payments across the year. Applications are made directly to the provider.

The 2023 ISI inspection highlighted pastoral care as a particular strength. The report noted that pupils feel "confident they are listened to and looked after." This isn't generic reassurance; the school structures pastoral systems deliberately.

Each pupil has a form tutor responsible for their day-to-day pastoral oversight. Form groups are small (6-8 pupils per tutor), enabling genuine knowledge of each learner. In secondary, house systems provide additional pastoral oversight, with house staff knowing pupils across year groups. This layered approach means every pupil has multiple adults who know them well and can identify if something is amiss.

The school employs trained counsellors. While specific staffing numbers aren't published, the presence of dedicated pastoral staff signals serious investment in mental health and wellbeing. Primary school pupils have access to additional support through Early Years specialists trained in emotional literacy; secondary students can access counselling services as needed.

Behaviour is managed through clear, consistently applied expectations. The school emphasises that "pupils readily take responsibility for their own behaviour," suggesting an ethos where discipline develops from internal motivation rather than external punishment. Behaviour incidents are handled promptly; the school maintains dedicated pastoral records enabling patterns to be identified early.

School day starts at 8:50am and finishes at 3:20pm for most pupils. Breakfast club is available from 7:30am at £4.25 per session. After-school care runs until 5:30pm, enabling working parents to manage school hours. The school offers structured wrap-around care during holidays, supporting families' childcare needs throughout the year.

The campus sits conveniently off Hillsway in Littleover, close to major transport links. Parking is available on-site. Multiple bus routes serve the school, reducing reliance on personal car transport. For families in surrounding areas, school coaches operate routes covering Derby and surrounding villages; families should enquire directly regarding their address and journey options.

The school uniform is traditional: blazer, tie, and formal dress for secondary, with appropriate distinctions by year group. Uniform supports school identity and consistency but does impose an additional cost beyond fees for initial purchase and replacement of worn items.

Independent education remains a significant financial commitment. At £13,245 for Reception and rising to £19,470 for sixth form, fees demand careful family budgeting. Whilst the school offers assisted places up to 50% of fees, these are limited and subject to rigorous means testing. Families should factor in additional costs for trips, music lessons, and uniform when assessing affordability. The Bursar encourages confidential conversations about financial support; families should never assume cost alone precludes access.

Entry beyond year 7 becomes increasingly selective. Whilst the primary school maintains a warm, inclusive approach to assessment, secondary entrance is explicitly competitive. External candidates sit entrance examinations; those scoring below the offered threshold should understand they have not secured a place. This is appropriate to independent education but differs from state schools' first-preference admissions models. Families should attend open days and tours before committing significant time to exam preparation.

The shift from girls-only to co-educational (which completed in 2022) represents substantial cultural change. Whilst the school has handled this thoughtfully, senior staff attest to ongoing navigation of establishing co-ed culture in what was traditionally a girls' school. Families considering the secondary school should recognise the school remains in evolution on this front. New parents may notice subtle differences in how girls' and boys' experiences are framed; the school is deliberately working to ensure equivalent opportunity and challenge across gender.

Sixth form draws some external entrants, bringing new peers and energy to a cohort that has studied together from Year 7. This enriches the sixth form but also means existing pupils adjust to new social dynamics at a critical educational moment. Students should be comfortable with this openness; conversely, families should recognise their sixth form cohort may include a significant cohort (perhaps 20-30% of year 12 intake) of new faces.

Derby High School represents a high-performing, genuinely all-through independent school combining academic rigour with broad personal development. The school's track record, 64% GCSE grades 7-9, 75% A-level grades A*-B, first position in local independent school rankings for three years, demonstrates consistent academic excellence. The 2023 ISI "Excellent" rating across all categories confirms this achievement occurs within a framework of genuine pastoral care, diverse community, and age-appropriate challenge.

The school is best suited to families seeking independent education within Derby and the surrounding region who value academic challenge, traditional structures (uniform, formal curriculum), and personal pastoral oversight. The fees are substantial and should be carefully considered; the school's assisted places scheme is genuine but limited. The all-through structure is a major advantage for families wanting to avoid secondary transfer disruption.

For families uncomfortable with school uniform, weekly boarding (the school is day only), or explicit Anglican foundation, alternatives may better fit. Those seeking progressive, child-centred pedagogy or unstructured exploration may find the school's traditional academic focus constraining. But for families valuing excellent academic outcomes within supportive structures, alongside genuine extracurricular breadth, Derby High ranks among the strongest independent schools in the East Midlands.