Keresforth Primary School

About Keresforth Primary School

Keresforth Primary School holds a Good rating from Ofsted, a grade it has maintained across its two most recent inspections, the latest of which took place in 2022. Inspectors awarded Good marks across every category, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision. The school’s most telling academic metric is the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined at Key Stage 2, which stands at 67 per cent. That figure sits four percentage points above the Barnsley local authority average of 63 per cent, placing Keresforth 29th out of 70 primary schools in the area. Nationally, the school ranks in the 40th percentile among all state primaries. While the combined expected rate is solid, the proportion reaching the higher standard in all three subjects is just 7 per cent, suggesting that the school’s strength lies in securing solid foundations for the majority of its pupils rather than pushing large numbers into the top tier.

Looking at individual subjects, reading shows the strongest performance: 83 per cent of pupils met the expected standard and 27 per cent reached the higher standard, with an average scaled score of 105. Writing follows closely, with 80 per cent at expected and 13 per cent at the higher level. Maths sees 77 per cent at expected and 30 per cent at the higher standard, with an average score of 106. These results are broadly consistent with a school that delivers reliably above the local average without being among the very highest performers in Barnsley. The school’s ranking score of 67 places it in the top 50 per cent of primaries nationally, and within the Yorkshire and Humber region it sits in the 37th percentile. For parents focused on a solid, consistent academic offering rather than exceptional high-stakes outcomes, Keresforth delivers a dependable baseline.

The school is oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 intake, it received 57 applications for 30 places, with 41 of those as first preferences, giving a ratio of 1.9 applicants per place. It offers a nursery provision for children from age three. Facilities include a gymnasium, outdoor playground, art studios, ICT suite, library, sensory room, forest school, playing fields and a chapel. Sports on offer are dance, football, cross country and rounders, while clubs include science, gardening, film, choir, drama and art. The school has identified SEND provisions for specific learning difficulties including dyslexia, social emotional and mental health needs, speech language and communication needs, hearing impairment, and autistic spectrum disorder. With 16.3 per cent of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a broadly representative community. Keresforth suits families looking for a well-regarded local primary with good Ofsted grades, above-average core results, and a wide range of enrichment activities.

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