New Mills School Review 2026: An 11 to 16 community school in a landmark listed building, with improving inspection outcomes

New Mills School sits in a part of the High Peak where a secondary option needs to be both rooted in its local community and ambitious enough to stretch a broad intake. The setting matters here. Historic England records the main school building as a Grade II listed site, designed by George H. Widdows and completed in 1912, which gives the school a distinctive physical identity and a sense of continuity in the town.

The direction of travel matters too. Under Headteacher Mrs Heather Watts, who was appointed in September 2021, formal inspection evidence highlights a clearer curriculum model, stronger routines, and a culture in which students report feeling safe and well supported.

Academically, performance sits in the mid-range nationally, which is often where the most meaningful questions for parents sit, namely what the school does well for most children, where it is still inconsistent, and what kind of learner will benefit most. In FindMySchool’s GCSE outcomes ranking, the school is placed 1773rd in England and 2nd locally within High Peak, which aligns to the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile).

A useful way to understand the culture is through the language the school uses consistently. The published values are Think Big, Do the Right Thing, and Team Spirit, and these are framed as behavioural expectations as well as aspirations.

That shows up in two practical ways that families tend to notice quickly. First, staff aim to make relationships visible and accessible. Official inspection evidence describes pastoral staff as highly visible, with students feeling supported by trusted adults and confident that concerns are taken seriously.

Second, routines are reinforced through repeatable systems rather than relying on individual charisma. The inspection report describes a behaviour culture where the vast majority of students follow routines and meet expectations, with recognisable incentives linked to the school’s values. The benefit for many students is predictability, particularly in mixed-ability environments where clarity reduces low-level disruption and helps lessons move at pace.

Leadership stability is also part of the picture. Mrs Heather Watts is named as headteacher in the latest inspection documentation, and the report notes that the senior leadership team had been restructured since the previous inspection, which usually signals a deliberate attempt to tighten accountability and implementation.

A final, often underplayed, feature is the building itself. Historic England’s listing describes the school as a Widdows design completed in 1912, part of a wider programme of early 20th-century Derbyshire school buildings. Families rarely choose a school because it is listed, but a well-established site often comes with clearer spatial cues and established specialist rooms, which can support practical subjects and extracurricular participation.

Because this is an 11 to 16 school, the most relevant headline is GCSE outcomes. In FindMySchool’s proprietary ranking based on official performance data, New Mills School is ranked 1773rd in England for GCSE outcomes and 2nd in High Peak. This places it in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile).

The underlying measures point to a school that is doing better than a simple mid-table label might imply, but with a curriculum profile that is still developing. The Attainment 8 score is 49.6, and the Progress 8 score is 0.18, which indicates above-average progress from starting points. The implication is that for many students, outcomes are supported by teaching that adds value over time, rather than relying purely on high prior attainment.

The English Baccalaureate profile is more restrained. The average EBacc APS is 4.06 and the percentage achieving grade 5 or above in the EBacc is 14.2%. For parents, the practical meaning is that the school’s strengths may be more visible in particular subject areas and pathways, including practical and creative options, rather than being defined primarily by an EBacc-heavy results narrative.

When comparing local options, it helps to use FindMySchool’s Local Hub pages and Comparison Tool to view GCSE measures alongside nearby schools in the same context, rather than relying on a single headline grade or an anecdotal reputation.

The most credible picture of teaching is where it gets specific. Inspection evidence describes an ambitious curriculum rooted in national curriculum aims, with improvements that increase chances for students to apply knowledge rather than only rehearse it. Geography is a good example, where students have more opportunities to take part in fieldwork, a detail that usually correlates with stronger substantive understanding and better extended responses at GCSE.

Languages at Key Stage 3 are another concrete indicator. Students study both Spanish and German, and inspection evidence links this to improved confidence and increased uptake of languages later on. For families, the implication is that the school is trying to keep options open early, rather than narrowing the curriculum too quickly.

Practical and creative subjects are repeatedly referenced as areas where students produce strong work. External evidence highlights achievements across the curriculum, with particular strength noted in practical subjects such as media studies, engineering and art, and this matters because it suggests the school is not only focused on a narrow set of academic measures.

The main improvement point is also clearly stated and it is worth treating it as a live consideration rather than a historical footnote. The inspection report describes variability in how consistently the school checks whether students are learning the intended curriculum, which can mean that some students move on without consolidating key knowledge. For parents, the implication is that children who need frequent feedback loops and careful scaffolding may benefit from asking, during visits, how assessment and in-lesson checks are being standardised across subjects.

Where Students Go Next

With no sixth form on site, the school’s responsibility is to prepare students for post-16 transitions and to ensure that options are realistic, informed and timely. The careers programme is described as extending entitlement down to Year 7, with structured provision for Years 8 to 11 and regular personal guidance, including one-to-one support on Fridays.

Work experience is positioned as a universal entitlement, with every Year 10 student taking part in a work placement week. That is a meaningful feature for a town where many families value applied learning and early exposure to workplaces. The school also describes a programme of workshops led by industry professionals and planned encounters with colleges, training providers and universities.

Inspection evidence broadly supports the quality of this strand. It describes careers provision as well planned, with tutor time helping students explore future pathways. For families, this typically translates into better subject choices at Key Stage 4 and a less stressful Year 11, because the post-16 plan is being developed earlier.

Because post-16 destinations are not published as a single set of statistics here, the best approach for parents is to ask two practical questions during the application journey. First, what the most common local post-16 routes are for New Mills students, and second, how the school supports applications for more competitive sixth form or college pathways when appropriate.

New Mills School is a state-funded community school and admissions are coordinated through Derbyshire County Council rather than directly by the school for the main Year 7 intake. For September 2026 entry, Derbyshire’s published timeline states that applications open on 8 September 2025 and close at midnight on 31 October 2025. Offers are issued on 2 March 2026, with appeals deadlines also set out by the local authority.

The school’s own transition material is unusually detailed and it gives a helpful sense of how Year 6 into Year 7 is handled. The school describes an annual open evening typically held in September or October, plus a programme that includes primary visits by a transition team, tutor group planning that aims for balanced mixes, and opportunities in June and July for students to become familiar with routines and the site.

Parents should treat open evening timing as a pattern rather than relying on a single year’s calendar. The strongest practical step is to monitor the school calendar each autumn, then align that with Derbyshire’s published admissions deadlines. Families can also use FindMySchoolMap Search to check realistic travel times from home, then use those estimates alongside the local authority’s oversubscription rules when shortlisting.

In-year transfers are managed via the local authority route, which is standard for maintained schools and tends to support fairness and clarity when mid-year moves become necessary.

Pastoral care is one of the clearest strengths in the available evidence base. The most recent inspection describes students as happy and feeling safe, supported by positive relationships with trusted adults, and confident that staff respond promptly when issues arise. This is not a vague compliment, it is a specific claim about the reliability of adult response, which is often the difference between a student who tolerates school and one who engages.

Support for students with additional needs is also described in practical terms. Inspection evidence states that the school identifies students with special educational needs and disabilities quickly and provides appropriate support, with teaching adapted through tools such as pupil passports. A further named element is the 360 provision, described as tailored support that helps students with additional needs re-engage successfully in learning. For parents of students with SEND, the implication is that the school is trying to blend in-class adaptation with targeted provision, rather than treating support as a separate track.

Reading support is another concrete strand. External evidence describes targeted interventions for students who struggle with reading, aiming to build confidence and fluency. That matters at secondary level because literacy is the gateway to most subjects, and an effective reading strategy tends to raise outcomes across the timetable, not only in English.

The main pastoral caveat is that personal development is not equally embedded across every element. Inspection evidence notes that while some aspects are strong, others are not as consistently high quality, including students’ understanding of different faiths. For families, this suggests asking how personal development content is sequenced across year groups, and how it is reinforced beyond discrete lessons.

The 11 and 12 March 2025 Ofsted inspection rated the school Good across all four key judgements and confirmed that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Extracurricular provision is strongest when it is predictable and easy to access, not only when it is impressive on paper. Here, the school day structure makes space for enrichment clubs after lessons, and the published timings show an organised cadence, with optional enrichment running after the final lesson.

The clubs list is unusually detailed for a school website and it gives parents a realistic sense of what students can actually do week by week. For wellbeing and belonging, there are named options such as Wellbeing Club, Mindfulness Club and Pride Club. The implication is that students who benefit from structured peer groups and calm spaces have obvious entry points, which can be particularly valuable in the early months of Year 7.

For creativity and performance, students can access KS3 Rockband and KS3 Pop Choir, plus drama and arts and crafts clubs. These are not generic add-ons, they are structured, named opportunities that help students build confidence and identity beyond their academic set.

For STEM and academic curiosity, the list includes a Year 7 and 8 Science Club and a History Club open across multiple year groups. That matters because enrichment in these areas tends to support longer-term motivation, especially for students who need a reason to care about a subject before the examination years.

Practical, hands-on opportunities are also present. Gardening Club is explicitly listed, with a greenhouse location, which is a small detail but a meaningful one because it signals that students are not limited to classroom-based clubs. There is also Duolingo as a language practice option, which aligns with the school’s stated emphasis on languages earlier in the curriculum.

Trips and wider experiences appear to be a consistent strand. The school’s published “Beyond the Classroom” content references experiences such as a Year 7 Gulliver’s World visit, Jodrell Bank, the National Justice Museum, Quarry Bank Mill, and a London theatre experience, with some larger residential and overseas-style trips referenced in the same section. For parents, the implication is that enrichment is not confined to after-school clubs, but includes structured learning beyond the site.

The published timings set a clear structure. Students can be on site from 8:00am, tutor time and assembly run 8:35am to 9:00am, and the final lesson ends at 3:05pm. Optional enrichment clubs run 3:05pm to 4:15pm, which is a practical option for families balancing work patterns with supervised after-school activities.

Because this is an 11 to 16 school, wraparound care is best understood as breakfast availability and structured after-school enrichment rather than primary-style childcare provision. Breakfast items are available via the canteen during the early arrival window, and families should check termly updates for which clubs run on which days, as the timetable is published as a live programme.

• Curriculum consistency varies by subject. External evidence highlights variability in how consistently teachers check learning and adapt teaching, which can affect students who need regular consolidation and clear next steps.

• EBacc profile is relatively limited. The proportion achieving grade 5 or above in the EBacc is 14.2%, and the average EBacc APS is 4.06, which may matter for families prioritising a strongly EBacc-led curriculum.

• No on-site sixth form. Students will transition to a post-16 provider after Year 11, so families should engage early with the school’s careers programme and local college open events to reduce Year 11 pressure.

• Personal development is not equally embedded in every strand. Formal evidence flags aspects that need strengthening, so parents should ask how personal development themes are reinforced across year groups.

New Mills School is a community secondary with clear improvement momentum, a strong pastoral narrative, and a practical curriculum that recognises the importance of creative and applied subjects alongside core academic pathways. The listed building and long-established site add distinctive character, while the day-to-day offer is shaped more by routines, relationships, and a structured enrichment programme than by headline league-table claims.

Best suited to families seeking a local 11 to 16 school where students are known well, pastoral systems are visible, and there are credible routes into practical subjects and enrichment alongside standard GCSE pathways. The key decision point is fit, particularly for students who need consistent assessment and reinforcement across all subjects, and for families with strong preferences about EBacc breadth.