Voluntary controlled school

Dronfield Henry Fanshawe School

Mixed · ages 11–18 · with sixth formDerbyshire, East Midlands · Dronfield S18 2FZSchool website
Pupils on roll
1,810of 1,809 places
Free school meals
19.9%
Year 11 cohort 2025
289
Ofsted
Good, 11 July 2023Read the Ofsted report
What the data says

Of the 292 pupils who finished Year 11 at Dronfield Henry Fanshawe School in 2023, 45% stayed on in Dronfield Henry Fanshawe School’s own sixth form (Derbyshire average 34%), 42% went to a further education college and 3% started an apprenticeship.

Among the 148 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 61% went to university (Derbyshire 42%, England 37%), and 29% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.

Art and Design is unusually popular at GCSE: 29% of the year group took it, against 7% of pupils across England.

GCSE results in 2025 were above the national picture: Attainment 8 of 50.0 against 46.1 across England and 45.0 in Derbyshire, with 53% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).

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.

This school
Derbyshire
England
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
MeasureThis schoolDerbyshireEngland
Pupils in the cohort2927,796607,348
Any sustained destination95%91%92%
Stayed in education88%82%86%
— school sixth form45%34%34%
— sixth form college0%5%13%
— further education college42%41%37%
— other education1%2%2%
Apprenticeship3%5%3%
Employment3%4%3%
No sustained destination3%6%6%
Destination unknown2%3%3%

Where students went after sixth form

Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.

This school
Derbyshire
England
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
MeasureThis schoolDerbyshireEngland
Students in the cohort1483,774541,441
Any sustained destination92%85%79%
University (higher education)61%42%37%
— most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students29%21%19%
Further education1%4%5%
Apprenticeship10%11%7%
Employment19%27%28%
No sustained destination6%11%16%

GCSE results 2025

MeasureThis schoolDerbyshireEngland
Attainment 8 (average points per pupil)50.045.046.1
Grade 5 or above in English and maths53%43%45%
Grade 4 or above in English and maths74%65%65%
Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects54%30%41%
EBacc average point score4.603.924.09
Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort17%28%28%
Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils39.934.034.9
Attainment 8 — other pupils52.049.250.4
Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2)
English as an additional language3%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.

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEnglandGrades 7–9EnglandGrades 4–9
Mathematics288100%88%28%22%80%
English Language28398%89%19%20%78%
English Literature27093%86%15%21%76%
Combined Science20571%65%13%9%65%
History15955%41%25%26%65%
Geography11740%41%26%25%70%
Business Studies8730%18%13%20%56%
Art and Design8329%7%24%24%93%
Physics8028%23%53%46%98%
Chemistry8028%23%46%47%96%
Biology8028%23%48%45%98%
Food Preparation and Nutrition7325%8%15%21%73%
Spanish7225%19%22%27%71%
Physical Education6021%11%15%24%70%
Film Studies5419%1%13%20%65%
French5017%18%20%29%54%
Applied Engineering4215%0%24%18%90%
Photography4215%6%38%19%95%
German3813%5%26%33%82%
Design and Technology228%11%32%23%86%
Computer Science207%13%40%30%100%
Music155%5%7%33%67%
Religious Studies41%31%32%
Chinese10%1%75%

Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Computer Appreciation / Introduction3419%
Speech and Drama2614%

A levels and other level 3 courses

MeasureThis schoolDerbyshireEngland
Students at the end of 16–18 study340
— of whom A level students1812,363261,341
Average A level gradeB-C+B-
Average points per A level entry36.4932.9935.00
Average grade, best 3 A levelsB-C+B-
AAB or better with two facilitating subjects23%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.

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Mathematics5631%31%
Psychology5028%23%
Chemistry4424%17%
Biology3720%20%
Business Studies3017%13%
Physics3017%12%
English Language2815%4%
Geography2212%10%
English Literature179%11%
Physical Education169%3%
Sociology169%13%
Art and Design137%1%
History137%13%
Further Mathematics127%5%
Film Studies84%2%
Computer Science74%5%
Politics63%6%
Philosophy63%1%
D and T Engineering0%
D and T Textiles Technology0%
Product Design2%
Photography3%
Drama2%
French1%
Spanish2%

Applied, technical and other level 3 courses

SubjectQualificationEntriesShare of cohortEngland
PsychologyGCE AS level (All)6335%
ChemistryGCE AS level (All)4726%
MathematicsGCE AS level (All)4726%
BiologyGCE AS level (All)4424%
Social ScienceVRQ Level 33821%
Business StudiesGCE AS level (All)3620%
PhysicsGCE AS level (All)3519%
Mathematical StudiesCore Maths Qualifications at Level 32514%
Study SkillsExtended Project (Diploma)2413%
Physical EducationGCE AS level (All)1910%
SociologyGCE AS level (All)179%
PsychologyGCE AS level (Not continued to A2)137%
Applied SciencesBTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D*127%
PoliticsGCE AS level (All)95%
Nutrition / DietVRQ Level 384%
Music performance: GroupBTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D*84%
BiologyGCE AS level (Not continued to A2)84%
Computer ScienceGCE AS level (All)74%
Business StudiesGCE AS level (Not continued to A2)74%
Computer Architecture / SystemsBTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D*63%
ChemistryGCE AS level (Not continued to A2)
Engineering StudiesBTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D*
English LanguageGCE AS level (All)
Applied SciencesBTEC Level 3 National Certificate (Band D)
Computing and IT Advanced TechnicianBTEC National Diploma L3 - Band J - PP-D*D*
MathematicsGCE AS level (Not continued to A2)
Physical EducationGCE AS level (Not continued to A2)
Business StudiesBTEC Level 3 National Certificate (Band D)
SociologyGCE AS level (Not continued to A2)
FrenchGCE AS level (All)
FrenchGCE AS level (Not continued to A2)
PhysicsGCE AS level (Not continued to A2)
PoliticsGCE AS level (Not continued to A2)
Music performance: GroupBTEC Level 3 National Certificate (Band D)
English LanguageGCE AS level (Not continued to A2)

Other secondary schools in Derbyshire

Aldercar High School

Academy converter · sixth form · 648 pupils

84% stayed in education · Attainment 8 33.9

Anthony Gell School

Academy converter · sixth form · 776 pupils

83% stayed in education · Attainment 8 45.8

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.