Barnburgh Primary Academy

About Barnburgh Primary Academy

Barnburgh Primary Academy is a state-funded mixed primary school in Doncaster, serving 229 pupils aged 3 to 11. Within the Doncaster local authority, it sits in the middle of the pack, ranking 37th out of 98 primary schools of the same type. Its ranking score of 65 places it some way behind the top three local peers — Crookesbroom Primary Academy (score 96), St Oswald's CofE Academy (84), and Arksey Primary School (83) — but it still falls within the top half of schools nationally, at the 45th percentile. The school is led by headteacher Jo Potts and has no religious character. It is a popular choice for local families: for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 35 first-preference applications for just 30 places, making it oversubscribed with a ratio of 1.37 applicants per place. That level of demand suggests it holds a solid reputation among parents in the area, even if it is not among the very highest-ranked primaries in Doncaster.

Academically, Barnburgh Primary performs a little above the local average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 65% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with the Doncaster average of 61%. The school’s strongest individual subject was writing, where 81% met the expected standard and 12% achieved a higher score. Reading and maths followed closely, with 73% and 77% at expected levels respectively, and higher scores achieved by 23% in reading and 19% in maths. Average scaled scores were 104 in reading and 103 in maths. Only 4% of pupils reached the higher standard across all three subjects. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2019, rated it Good overall, with Good marks for early years provision, leadership and management, and the quality of education. This was a clear improvement from its previous inspection in 2016, when it was rated Requires Improvement across all graded categories.

Barnburgh Primary offers a wide range of facilities for a school of its size, including a sensory room, forest school area, gymnasium, sports hall, ICT suite and art studios. Its sports provision covers gymnastics, tennis, netball, cross country, dance, rounders and cricket, while clubs include drama, eco club, choir, science club and book club. The school has a strong SEND offer, with provisions for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, speech, language and communication needs, social and emotional mental health needs, hearing and visual impairments, multi-sensory impairment, and autistic spectrum disorder. With nursery provision on site and a capacity of 236, it is a good fit for families in the Barnburgh area who want a well-regarded local primary with solid academic results, a broad extracurricular programme, and clear support for children with additional needs — particularly those who may benefit from the sensory room or forest school.

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