Parkside Community School
Chesterfield, S40 2NS · Derbyshire · secondary school
Check the area around this school
45th of 45 secondary schools in Derbyshire we can score. Local and same-phase on purpose: a national table mostly measures who attends.
Narrow the comparison to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds and it does better still — 2.2/10 against 187 of them, against 1.1/10 nationally. Both figures are results only, without the inspection grade. A lower figure here means a stronger comparison group, not a weaker school.
How this is worked out
| Measure | Percentile | Weight | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ofsted | 13 | 35% | 0.44 |
| Grade 5+ English & maths 2025/26 | 18.9 · 3 | 30% | 0.09 |
| Progress 8 2023/24 | -0.39 · 21 | 25% | 0.53 |
| Attainment 8 2025/26 | 36.4 · 8 | 10% | 0.08 |
Each measure is read as a position among comparable schools, so a school in the middle of the country scores 5. Full method.
Parkside Community School overview
How it's doing
In 2024/25, 31.5% of pupils achieved Grade 5 or above in English and maths. Attainment 8 was 41.0, compared to the national median of 44.6. Progress 8 was -0.39 in 2023/24, indicating pupils did worse than those nationally who started from the same place. Narrow the comparison to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds and it does better still (4.5 out of 10 against similar schools, 2.1 out of 10 against all schools). Ofsted inspected the school in June 2026 under the new report-card framework, which grades each area separately and gives no overall grade.
Beyond the classroom
Pupils can join the Junior Leadership Team, Parkside Parliament, Mentor Representatives, and Transition Ambassadors. Sports options include Sports Leaders, Football, and Athletics.
Getting in
The published school roll is 587 pupils against a stated capacity of 600. These whole-school figures do not establish entry-year vacancies or the likelihood of an offer. Confirm entry-year availability and admissions criteria with the school or local authority.
Worth asking on a visit
How does the school support pupils to close the gap between their current attainment and the national median? What specific support is available for pupils who are Transition Ambassadors? How does the new Ofsted framework affect day-to-day teaching practices?
What Ofsted said about Parkside Community School
Overview
Parkside Community School is described as a place where pupils feel safe and are well supported by a "caring ethos" and effective leadership. While attendance has improved markedly and behaviour is positive, the report notes that overall achievement in national tests is not consistently close to national averages, requiring further refinement in teaching practices.
Strengths
- Attendance has "markedly improved" to be close to national averages, with effective support for those struggling to attend regularly.
- Pupils respect each other in a "positive learning community," with antisocial behaviour and bullying being rare.
- Leaders have "well-established approaches" for identifying and supporting pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
- Disadvantaged pupils achieve results in line with national averages and benefit from effective partnerships with external agencies.
- Staff are highly positive about leadership, which provides professional development and supports reasonable workloads.
Areas to improve
- Leaders should ensure staff match learning activities to pupil needs, including providing "more challenging learning activities" for those ready to explore subjects with greater sophistication.
- Leaders should continue to refine support for pupils with "underdeveloped handwriting" who continue to struggle to write clearly.
- Further work is needed to ensure pupils typically achieve what leaders intend, as outcomes in national tests for some subjects remain below national averages.
Safeguarding
The safeguarding standards are met, with leaders establishing an "open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility" and concerns actively identified and managed.
Results over time
Attainment 8, the years we hold.
| Year | Attainment 8 |
|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 36.8 |
| 2024/25 | 41.0 |
| 2025/26 | 36.4 |
| England | 44.9 |
Source: DfE Explore Education Statistics. “England” is the median of the 3,682 state schools in England we hold a 2025/26 figure for — a school-level median, not the DfE's pupil-weighted national figure.
Your offer chance
—Based on official applications/offers, distance and catchment where we have it. Bands only — never a percentage.
Sibling, faith, looked-after and other criteria can override distance. Always confirm with the school or local authority.
Next dates
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2026
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2027
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2027
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2028
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