Aldercar High School
Academy converter · sixth form · 648 pupils
84% stayed in education · Attainment 8 33.9
Academy converter
The Ripley Academy
- Pupils on roll
- 920of 1,116 places
- Free school meals
- 30.9%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 117
- Ofsted
- Standards maintained, 5 February 2025Read the Ofsted report
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: Mill Hill School (URN 113001, until 1 September 2014).
What the data says
Of the 115 pupils who finished Year 11 at The Ripley Academy in 2023, 31% stayed on in The Ripley Academy’s own sixth form (Derbyshire average 34%), 37% went to a further education college and 7% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 68 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 34% went to university (Derbyshire 42%, England 37%), and 7% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally; 18% started an apprenticeship, well above the 7% England average.
Art and Design is unusually popular at GCSE: 23% of the year group took it, against 7% of pupils across England.
10% of leavers were not in sustained education, employment or training six months on, compared with 6% nationally.
Where pupils went after Year 11
Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Derbyshire and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | The Ripley Academy | Derbyshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 115 | 7,796 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 87% | 91% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 75% | 82% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 31% | 34% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 7% | 5% | 13% |
| — further education college | 37% | 41% | 37% |
| — other education | 0% | 2% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 7% | 5% | 3% |
| Employment | 5% | 4% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 10% | 6% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 3% | 3% | 3% |
Where students went after sixth form
Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | The Ripley Academy | Derbyshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 68 | 3,774 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 79% | 85% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 34% | 42% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 7% | 21% | 19% |
| Further education | 4% | 4% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 18% | 11% | 7% |
| Employment | 24% | 27% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 15% | 11% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | The Ripley Academy | Derbyshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 44.5 | 45.0 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 43% | 43% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 64% | 65% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 25% | 30% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 3.80 | 3.92 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 39% | 28% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 41.3 | 34.0 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 46.6 | 49.2 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 2% | 4% | 19% |
Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.
Subjects taken at GCSE
Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England | Grades 7–9 | England | Grades 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 117 | 100% | 88% | 16% | 22% | 69% |
| English Language | 117 | 100% | 89% | 17% | 20% | 73% |
| English Literature | 115 | 98% | 86% | 16% | 21% | 69% |
| Combined Science | 78 | 67% | 65% | 5% | 9% | 44% |
| Geography | 78 | 67% | 41% | 9% | 25% | 47% |
| Business Studies | 51 | 44% | 18% | 22% | 20% | 61% |
| History | 38 | 32% | 41% | 37% | 26% | 66% |
| Biology | 37 | 32% | 23% | 27% | 45% | 86% |
| Chemistry | 36 | 31% | 23% | 19% | 47% | 92% |
| Physics | 36 | 31% | 23% | 33% | 46% | 89% |
| Art and Design | 27 | 23% | 7% | 4% | 24% | 78% |
| Computer Science | 26 | 22% | 13% | 35% | 30% | 81% |
| Design and Technology | 26 | 22% | 11% | 0% | 23% | 31% |
| Physical Education | 24 | 21% | 11% | 8% | 24% | 58% |
| Photography | 19 | 16% | 6% | 11% | 19% | 63% |
| Food Preparation and Nutrition | 19 | 16% | 8% | 16% | 21% | 47% |
| Spanish | 17 | 15% | 19% | 18% | 27% | 65% |
| Fine Art | 17 | 15% | 9% | 6% | 28% | 53% |
| Religious Studies | 15 | 13% | 31% | 27% | 32% | 47% |
| French | 12 | 10% | 18% | 17% | 29% | 33% |
| Drama | 10 | 9% | 7% | 0% | 27% | 70% |
| Music | 8 | 7% | 5% | 0% | 33% | 13% |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health Studies | 23 | 49% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | The Ripley Academy | Derbyshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 95 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 47 | 2,363 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | C | C+ | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 28.36 | 32.99 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | C | C+ | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 7% | 16% | 18% |
| Average grade, applied general courses | — | — | — |
| Average grade, T levels | — | — | — |
A level subjects
Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 14 | 30% | 31% |
| Media Studies | 14 | 30% | 4% |
| Psychology | 11 | 23% | 23% |
| Biology | 11 | 23% | 20% |
| Computer Science | 10 | 21% | 5% |
| Photography | 10 | 21% | 3% |
| Chemistry | 9 | 19% | 17% |
| Sociology | 9 | 19% | 13% |
| Physics | 7 | 15% | 12% |
| Further Mathematics | — | — | 5% |
| Fine Art | — | — | 3% |
| English Literature | — | — | 11% |
| History | — | — | 13% |
| Geography | — | — | 10% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Study Skills | Extended Project (Diploma) | 23 | 49% | — |
| Applied Business | VRQ Level 3 | 15 | 32% | — |
| Mathematical Studies | Core Maths Qualifications at Level 3 | 9 | 19% | — |
| Sports Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 9 | 19% | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Nutrition / Diet | VRQ Level 3 | — | — | — |
| Chemistry | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Further Mathematics | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Physics | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Chemistry | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Further Mathematics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Physics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Derbyshire
Anthony Gell School
Academy converter · sixth form · 776 pupils
83% stayed in education · Attainment 8 45.8
Belper School and Sixth Form Centre
Foundation school · sixth form · 1,212 pupils
85% stayed in education · Attainment 8 44.3
Brookfield Community School
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,156 pupils
89% stayed in education · Attainment 8 50.8
Buxton Community School
Academy converter · sixth form · 954 pupils
82% stayed in education · Attainment 8 41.6
Chapel-en-le-Frith High School
Community school · 941 pupils
79% stayed in education · Attainment 8 43.8
Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.