Best secondary schools in Derby
15 of 15 secondary schools ranked by Progress 8 · all Derby schools · primary schools
Ranked on Progress 8, 2023/24 — the most recent year each school has published. Official data, not our opinion — but the ranking is only as good as the measure, and a single number never describes a school. We hold real catchment boundaries for 11 of them.
- 13 of 15 rated Good or Outstanding
- 2 oversubscribed on first preference
- 8 Good or better and undersubscribed — the overlooked ones
- Median Progress 8: -0.21 (best 0.46)
| # | School | Progress 8 | Ofsted | Places | Catchment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Littleover Community School Derby | 0.46 | Good declining | oversubscribed 1.29 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | mapped |
| 2 | Landau Forte College Derby | 0.43 | Outstanding | oversubscribed 2.87 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | approximate |
| 3 | Saint Benedict, A Catholic Voluntary Academy Derby hidden gem | 0.31 | Good | undersubscribed 0.83 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | approximate |
| 4 | Murray Park Community School Derby hidden gem | 0.03 | Good | undersubscribed 0.82 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | mapped |
| 5 | Derby Moor Spencer Academy Derby hidden gem | -0.06 | Good | undersubscribed 0.81 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | mapped |
| 6 | Chellaston Academy Derby | -0.07 | Good improving | about even 1.05 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | mapped |
| 7 | West Park School Derby | -0.09 | Good declining | about even 1.06 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | mapped |
| 8 | Allestree Woodlands School Derby hidden gem | -0.21 | Good improving | about even 0.87 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | mapped |
| 9 | Lees Brook Academy Derby hidden gem | -0.24 | Good improving | about even 0.85 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | mapped |
| 10 | City of Derby Academy Derby | -0.56 | Requires improvement | undersubscribed 0.63 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | mapped |
| 11 | Da Vinci Academy Derby hidden gem | -0.64 | Good | undersubscribed 0.56 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | mapped |
| 12 | Derby Cathedral School Derby hidden gem | -0.69 | Good | about even 0.9 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | approximate |
| 13 | UTC Derby Pride Park Derby | -0.73 | Good | — | approximate |
| 14 | Noel-Baker Academy Derby hidden gem | -0.84 | Good improving | undersubscribed 0.82 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | mapped |
| 15 | Alvaston Moor Academy Derby | -0.87 | Requires improvement | undersubscribed 0.55 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | mapped |
Applying in Derby
Knowing which school is best is only half of it — these are the deadlines that decide whether you can apply at all.
- Secondary application deadline 2026-10-31 · 2027 entry Secondary Common Application Form (CAF) deadline for September 2027 entry (Year 7). National statutory deadline 31 October 2026; apply via your home local authority. Selective/grammar registration, if any, is a separate earlier deadline.
- Primary (Reception) application deadline 2027-01-15 · 2027 entry Primary (Reception) application deadline for September 2027 entry. National statutory deadline 15 January 2027; apply via your home local authority.
- Secondary National Offer Day 2027-03-01 · 2027 entry Secondary National Offer Day for September 2027 entry — state school Year 7 place offers (1 March).
- Primary National Offer Day 2027-04-16 · 2027 entry Primary National Offer Day for September 2027 entry — Reception place offers (16 April).
- Secondary application deadline 2027-10-31 · 2028 entry Secondary Common Application Form (CAF) deadline for September 2028 entry (Year 7). National statutory deadline 31 October 2027; apply via your home local authority. Selective/grammar registration, if any, is a separate earlier deadline.
- Primary (Reception) application deadline 2028-01-15 · 2028 entry Primary (Reception) application deadline for September 2028 entry. National statutory deadline 15 January 2028; apply via your home local authority.
Rankings compare published results. They do not tell you which school your child will get into — that depends on where you live, sibling and faith priority, and how many people apply this year. Ask below, or check the Derby admission criteria.
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