Penny Acres Primary School Review 2026: A tiny village primary with exceptionally strong KS2 results

Small schools can sometimes mean limited breadth. Here, the opposite tends to show through, because the school’s scale is used to keep expectations high, spot gaps early, and make sure pupils do not slip through unnoticed. The latest published Key Stage 2 outcomes place Penny Acres among the higher-performing primary schools in England, with almost all pupils meeting expected standards across the core measures.

Leadership sits within a local federation with Wigley Primary School, sharing an executive headteacher and governing body. That federation model matters in practice, because it supports subject leadership and staffing resilience that very small schools can struggle to sustain on their own.

For families, the headline is straightforward. This is a state primary with no tuition fees, and results that look unusually strong for a school of its size. The trade-off is that demand can exceed places, and the school’s own improvement priorities focus on ensuring the wider curriculum is consistently developed across all subjects.

Penny Acres sits within a close-knit community context and leans into it. Pupils are taught to see themselves as part of the village, not separate from it, and local traditions are used as a genuine teaching tool rather than a token add-on. The Well Dressing event is a good example of that community link being turned into something pupils can learn from and participate in.

The school is also unusually explicit about ambition. On the federation’s own messaging, the emphasis is on high aspirations alongside a warm, supportive approach. The tone is not about pushing children into a single mould, it is about encouraging pupils to become confident learners while keeping the basics of reading, writing and mathematics central.

In a very small setting, relationships and behaviour do more of the heavy lifting than in a large two-form entry primary. Here, behaviour and mutual respect come through as a clear strength, and older pupils are expected to set the tone for younger children. This matters for parents weighing a tiny school, because consistency and calm routines are what make mixed-age dynamics work well over time.

The performance picture is striking. In 2024, 90.33% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, compared with an England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 38.33% achieved greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics, compared with an England average of 8%. Reading and mathematics scaled scores were 110 and 105 respectively, and grammar, punctuation and spelling scaled score was 114.

Rankings reflect the same story. Penny Acres is ranked 564th in England for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), and 1st in the Dronfield local area. That places it well above the England average, within the top 10% of schools in England, and in practice closer to the top 4% on this measure.

For parents comparing local options, this is a good moment to use the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool, because the gap between Penny Acres and typical England outcomes is large enough that it is worth checking how nearby schools’ results and cohorts compare year to year.

Reading looks like a deliberate priority rather than a general aspiration. Phonics is structured from the start of Reception, and early reading books are closely matched to the sounds pupils are learning. That alignment matters, because it prevents children being moved on too quickly to books that undermine confidence and fluency.

Mathematics is also a highlighted strength, including at subject leadership level. The practical implication for pupils is that concepts are revisited, language is used precisely, and teachers check understanding frequently enough to catch misconceptions early. For children who enjoy pattern, logic and clear steps, this tends to feel secure and motivating. For children who need more time, the same structure can be supportive, as long as adults keep pacing responsive.

The main teaching-and-learning watchpoint is not the core. It is the consistency of the wider curriculum across foundation subjects. In a very small school, it is easy for some subjects to have stronger oversight than others, and the development priority is to make sure sequencing and subject leadership are equally secure across the full curriculum.

As a village primary, pupils typically move on to a wider-choice secondary landscape, with patterns shaped by Derbyshire coordinated admissions and travel practicalities. For many families, the decision is between the nearest comprehensive options and schools that are slightly further but align with a particular child’s strengths in sport, arts, or academic focus.

The school’s small size can be an advantage at transition if pupils have had sustained confidence-building and plenty of speaking-and-listening practice. A notable feature here is how frequently pupils are expected to use ambitious vocabulary and explain their thinking clearly, which supports the kind of classroom participation that secondary school demands from Year 7 onwards.

If you are considering secondaries that allocate by distance, it is sensible to check likely travel routes early and to treat secondary admissions as a separate planning track, rather than assuming the primary-to-secondary pathway is automatically straightforward in rural areas.

Penny Acres is a state school with no tuition fees. Admissions for Reception places are coordinated by Derbyshire County Council, not handled as a direct independent-school application. For September 2026 entry, Derbyshire’s application window opened on 10 November 2025 and the on-time deadline was midnight on 15 January 2026, with National Offer Day on 16 April 2026. Appeals were scheduled to close on 15 May 2026.

Demand is meaningful even at small scale. The most recent published admissions data here shows 21 applications for 9 offers for the primary entry route captured, which is around 2.33 applications per place, and indicates oversubscription.

In practice, that means families should not assume that living “nearby” is enough. Use the FindMySchool Map Search to understand your likely distance position relative to other applicants, and treat any single year as indicative rather than guaranteed.

In a school of this size, pastoral care tends to be as much about early detection and everyday routines as it is about formal interventions. The staff model is designed to ensure pupils have multiple adults they can speak to, not just one class teacher. Safeguarding systems are described as effective, with links to external agencies used when families need additional support.

There is also clear attention to personal development and safety education, including helping pupils understand bullying and online risks in a way that is age-appropriate and practical. For parents, that matters because rural primary schools can sometimes be assumed to be “automatically safe”; what matters more is whether children are taught the language and confidence to ask for help, and whether adults act quickly when concerns arise.

The enrichment offer is more specific than many schools of similar size, and it is not only sport. Music is a standout strand. Every pupil learns recorder, and pupils also learn a brass instrument, which is an unusually universal entitlement for a small village primary. The educational impact is more than performance. Whole-class instrument learning supports listening skills, discipline, and confidence in front of others, particularly for pupils who might not otherwise choose to take musical risks.

Sport is organised through clearly named clubs rather than generic “after-school provision”. The school’s wraparound and after-school programme includes a Sports club and a Cross Country club on specific days, plus a Games club or Stay and Play session. For families, that clarity is helpful, because it sets expectations about what is available and when, and reduces the need to piece information together from newsletters.

Community events add another pillar. Participation in local traditions such as Well Dressing turns into real curriculum enrichment, linking pupils’ learning to place and history rather than keeping those topics abstract. The implication is that children who enjoy practical, community-linked projects are likely to feel a strong sense of belonging.

The school day runs from arrival at 8:45am to 8:50am, with the morning session beginning at 8:50am and school closing at 3:30pm.

Wraparound provision includes Breakfast Club from 7:45am to the start of the school day. After-school clubs are listed as running 3:30pm to 4:30pm on set weekdays, including Sports club and Cross Country club, with a Games club or Stay and Play option.

For travel, Holmesfield connects into Dronfield and Chesterfield via local bus services. The Stagecoach service 16 timetable explicitly includes Holmesfield alongside Dronfield and Chesterfield town centre, which can help families planning older pupils’ independent travel as children grow.

• Very small cohort sizes. Small year groups can be a real advantage for individual attention, but friendship dynamics can feel more intense for some children. It is worth asking how the school supports social resilience and how it manages mixed-age group experiences when numbers fluctuate.

• Oversubscription risk. With 21 applications for 9 offers in the most recent published cycle captured, admission is not something to leave to chance. Families should plan early and keep a realistic Plan B.

• Curriculum consistency across subjects. The improvement priority is about ensuring subject leadership and sequencing are equally secure across all foundation subjects, not just the strongest areas. Parents who value a very broad curriculum should ask what has changed since the last review to strengthen those areas.

• Wraparound is defined, but not late. Breakfast Club and after-school clubs cover common needs, but families needing care beyond 4:30pm may need additional arrangements.

Penny Acres is an unusually high-performing village primary, combining excellent KS2 outcomes with a calm culture and strong personal development. It suits families who want a small-school feel without compromising on academic ambition, and who value music and community-based enrichment as part of everyday school life. The main challenge lies in admission rather than what follows, so families should plan their application and contingency options with care.