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Best primary schools in Barnsley

72 of 77 primary schools ranked by Met expected standard (RWM) · all Barnsley schools · secondary schools

Ranked on Met expected standard (RWM), 2024/25 — 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.

66 of 77 rated Good or Outstanding
6 oversubscribed on first preference
10 Good or better and undersubscribed — the overlooked ones
Median Met expected standard (RWM): 67.0% (best 92.0%)

#	School	Met expected standard (RWM)	Ofsted	Places	Catchment
1	Bank End Primary Academy Barnsley	92.0%	Good	about even 0.95 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
2	Summerfields Primary Academy Barnsley	88.0%	Good	about even 1.13 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
3	Hunningley Primary Academy Barnsley	87.0%	Outstanding	about even 0.98 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
4	Thurgoland Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School Sheffield	87.0%	Good declining	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
5	Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Barnsley	86.0%	Good	about even 1.07 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
6	Birdwell Primary School Barnsley	85.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
7	Hoylandswaine Primary School Sheffield	85.0%	Inadequate	about even 0.88 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
8	Silkstone Common Junior and Infant School Barnsley	84.0%	Good declining	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
9	Cawthorne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Barnsley	83.0%	Good	oversubscribed 1.21 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
10	Silkstone Primary School Barnsley	83.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
11	Oakwell Rise Primary Academy Barnsley	81.0%	Good	oversubscribed 1.17 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
12	Tankersley St Peter's CofE (Aided) Primary School Barnsley	81.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
13	Churchfield Primary School Barnsley	80.0%	Good	about even 0.96 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
14	Gawber Primary School Barnsley	80.0%	Outstanding improving	oversubscribed 2.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
15	Springvale Primary School Barnsley	80.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
16	Oxspring Primary School Sheffield	78.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
17	Burton Road Primary School Barnsley	76.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
18	Mapplewell Primary School Barnsley	76.0%	Good	oversubscribed 1.23 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
19	Outwood Primary Academy Darfield Barnsley	76.0%	Good	about even 1.11 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
20	Highgate Primary Academy Rotherham	75.0%	Good	about even 0.97 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
21	Joseph Locke Primary School Barnsley	75.0%	Good improving	about even 0.93 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
22	Penistone St John's Voluntary Aided Primary School Sheffield	74.0%	Good declining	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
23	Keresforth Primary School Barnsley	73.0%	Good	oversubscribed 1.28 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
24	Millhouse Primary School Sheffield	73.0%	Good	about even 0.94 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
25	Parkside Primary Academy Barnsley	72.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
26	Wellgate Primary School Barnsley hidden gem	72.0%	Good	about even 0.9 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
27	Wilthorpe Primary School Barnsley	71.0%	Good	about even 0.94 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
28	The Forest Academy Barnsley	70.0%	Outstanding improving	about even 0.94 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
29	Gooseacre Primary Academy Rotherham	69.0%	Not judged	about even 1.06 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
30	Oakhill Primary Academy Barnsley	69.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
31	Elsecar Holy Trinity CofE Primary Academy Barnsley	68.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
32	Goldthorpe Primary Academy Rotherham	68.0%	Good	about even 0.97 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
33	Laithes Primary School Barnsley	68.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
34	Lift Meadstead Barnsley	68.0%	Not judged declining	about even 0.96 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
35	Barugh Green Primary School Barnsley hidden gem	67.0%	Good	undersubscribed 0.7 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
36	Lacewood Primary School Rotherham	67.0%	Good	oversubscribed 1.52 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
37	Milefield Primary School Barnsley	67.0%	Good	about even 0.93 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
38	Athersley South Primary School Barnsley	66.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
39	Hoyland Common Primary School Barnsley	66.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
40	Outwood Primary Academy Littleworth Grange Barnsley	66.0%	Good	about even 0.98 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
41	Upperwood Academy Barnsley	66.0%	Good	about even 0.97 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
42	Worsbrough Common Primary School Barnsley	66.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
43	Carlton Primary Academy Barnsley	64.0%	Good	about even 0.96 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
44	High View Primary Learning Centre Barnsley	64.0%	Good	about even 0.98 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
45	Shawlands Primary School Barnsley hidden gem	64.0%	Good declining	about even 0.87 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
46	The Hill Primary Academy Rotherham hidden gem	64.0%	Good improving	about even 0.92 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
47	Carrfield Primary Academy Rotherham hidden gem	63.0%	Good	undersubscribed 0.77 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
48	Cherry Dale Primary School Barnsley	63.0%	Not judged improving	about even 0.97 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
49	Heather Garth Primary School Academy Rotherham hidden gem	63.0%	Good	undersubscribed 0.84 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
50	The Mill Academy Barnsley	63.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
51	Ward Green Primary School Barnsley	63.0%	Not judged	about even 0.97 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
52	Lift St Helen's Barnsley	62.0%	Good improving	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
53	Sandhill Primary School Barnsley	62.0%	Good improving	about even 0.93 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
54	Birkwood Primary School Barnsley	61.0%	Not judged improving	about even 1.03 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
55	Dodworth St John the Baptist CofE Primary Academy Barnsley	59.0%	Requires improvement	undersubscribed 0.6 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
56	Lift Shafton Barnsley	59.0%	Good improving	about even 0.96 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
57	Darton Primary School Barnsley South hidden gem	58.0%	Good	about even 0.87 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
58	All Saints Academy Darfield Barnsley	57.0%	Requires improvement declining	about even 0.96 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
59	Kexborough Primary School Barnsley	57.0%	Good	about even 0.94 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
60	Wombwell Park Street Primary School Barnsley	57.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
61	Royston St John Baptist CE Primary Barnsley	55.0%	Good improving	about even 0.93 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
62	West Meadows Primary School Barnsley	55.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
63	Queens Road Academy Barnsley	54.0%	Good improving	about even 0.94 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
64	Holy Rood Catholic Primary School Barnsley hidden gem	53.0%	Good	about even 0.86 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
65	Ladywood Primary School Barnsley	52.0%	Good	about even 1.07 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
66	St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Barnsley Barnsley hidden gem	51.0%	Good declining	undersubscribed 0.72 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
67	St Michael and All Angels Catholic Primary School Barnsley hidden gem	50.0%	Good	about even 0.9 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
68	Athersley North Primary School Barnsley	49.0%	Good	about even 0.97 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
69	Hoyland Springwood Primary School Barnsley	48.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
70	Thurlstone Primary School Sheffield	37.0%	Good	about even 0.95 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
71	Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Rotherham	35.0%	Good improving	about even 1.11 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
72	St Helen's Catholic Primary School Barnsley	0.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate

Also in Barnsley

5 further primary schools with no published Met expected standard (RWM) for the latest year — usually too small a cohort to report, newly opened, or a special school. Listed because leaving them out would make this a misleading picture of Barnsley, not a fairer one.

Greenfield Primary School
Jump Primary Academy Ofsted: Good
Kings Oak Primary
Summer Lane Primary Ofsted: Not judged
The Ellis Church of England Primary School Ofsted: Good

Applying in Barnsley

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 Barnsley admission criteria.

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