Secondary school offers in Derbyshire: offer day 2027

National Offer Day Monday 1 March 2027 · 45 secondary schools · first-choice odds, waiting lists and appeals

How likely is a first choice here?

For September 2026 entry, 94.5% of families living in Derbyshire were offered their first-choice secondary school, against 83.6% across England. 116 families (1.5%) were offered none of the schools they named. Derbyshire ranks 137 of 150 councils in England, hardest first (see every council).

9 of its 45 secondary schools had more first-choice applications than places.

The most sought-after, by first-choice applications per place offered: Wilsthorpe School (1.3 per place), St Mary's Catholic High School, A Catholic Voluntary Academy (1.3 per place), The Bolsover School (1.2 per place), Chapel-en-le-Frith High School (1.2 per place), Granville Academy (1.1 per place).

If you didn't get your first choice

1. Accept the place you were offered by the date in your offer letter. Accepting it does not affect a waiting list or an appeal, and a place that isn't accepted can be withdrawn.
2. Get on the waiting lists you want. Every school must keep one until at least 31 December of the year your child starts. It is ranked by the school's admission rules, not by when you joined, so a family moving closer can go above you. Some councils add you automatically for schools you ranked higher than the one offered; your offer letter says which.
3. Decide whether to appeal. You can appeal for every school that refused your child. You get at least 20 school days from the offer to lodge it, and on-time appeals must be heard within 40 school days of that deadline. The figures below show how often appeals succeed here.
4. Look at schools that took lower preferences. These are the likeliest to have room now.

Schools that took children who ranked them lower

For September 2026 entry these 35 schools offered more places than they had first-choice applications, so some went to families who put them second or lower. They are the likeliest to have room after offer day; ask Derbyshire or the school.

• Aldercar High School Nottingham
• Belper School and Sixth Form Centre Belper
• Buxton Community School Buxton
• Dronfield Henry Fanshawe School Dronfield
• Eckington School Sheffield
• Frederick Gent School Alfreton
• Friesland School Sandiacre
• Glossopdale School and Sixth Form Glossop
• Heanor Gate Spencer Academy Heanor
• Heritage High School Chesterfield
• Highfields School Matlock
• Hope Valley College Hope Valley
• John Flamsteed Community School Ripley
• John Port Spencer Academy Derby
• Kirk Hallam Community Academy Ilkeston
• Lady Manners School Bakewell
• Mercia Academy Swadlincote
• Netherthorpe School Chesterfield
• New Mills School High Peak
• Outwood Academy Hasland Hall Chesterfield
• Outwood Academy Newbold Chesterfield
• Parkside Community School Chesterfield
• Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School Ashbourne
• Saint John Houghton Catholic Voluntary Academy Ilkeston
• Shirebrook Academy Mansfield
• Springwell Community College Chesterfield
• St Philip Howard Catholic Voluntary Academy Glossop
• St Thomas More Catholic Voluntary Academy Buxton
• Swanwick Hall School Alfreton
• The Ecclesbourne School Belper
• The Long Eaton School Nottingham
• The Pingle Academy Swadlincote
• Tibshelf Community School Alfreton
• Tupton Hall School Chesterfield
• Whittington Green School Chesterfield

Every secondary school: demand for 2026 entry

Sorted by first-choice applications per place, the most contested first.

Places offered is the number of offers made on national offer day, and first choices offered the share of families who put the school first and got it (Department for Education, September 2026 entry).

Appeals in Derbyshire

Secondary school appeals across all of Derbyshire, from the Department for Education. Appeals are not published school by school. Across England in 2025/26, 19.5% of 27,084 secondary appeals heard were upheld. How appeal odds differ between councils.

More for Derbyshire

• Every school in Derbyshire, with catchment areas and Ofsted
• Starting school in Derbyshire
• Map of schools near your home, with your chance of a place where we have the data