Classpot

Lift St Helen's

Barnsley, S71 2PSPrimaryAges 3–11MixedState
Ofsted Rating
Good
Jan 2024
KS2 Results
53%
meeting expected standard in RWM
Competition
1.0×
Not oversubscribed
15 1st-choice / 15 places
Ranking
#9,911
of 13,686 nationally

About Lift St Helen's

Lift St Helen's sits in the bottom half of Barnsley's 70 primary schools, ranked 54th, with a combined reading, writing and maths expected standard score of 53% — ten percentage points below the local authority average of 63%. That gap is significant, and it places the school firmly in the bottom 50 nationally by this metric. Yet the picture is more nuanced than a single headline suggests. In its most recent Ofsted inspection, conducted in January 2024, the school was rated Good across every category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision — a clear upgrade from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2020. So while the raw attainment data lags behind the Barnsley average, the school appears to be on an upward trajectory in terms of leadership and classroom quality, which may take time to feed through into test scores.

Key Details

School TypePrimary (State)
Age Range3 to 11 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterDoes not apply
AddressSt Helen's Way, Barnsley, Barnsley, S71 2PS
HeadteacherVictoria Gorton
Local AuthorityBarnsley
Number of Pupils206
Free School Meals (FSM)39.1%
School Capacity206 / 280 (74% full)
Nursery ClassesYes

The full report on this school

The inspection in plain English, admissions context, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.

  • Ofsted inspection in plain English
    Strengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
  • Parent View survey results
    What parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
  • Where Ofsted and parents disagree
    Gaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
  • Admissions & catchment
    Admission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
  • Nearby schools compared
    Backup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
  • Attendance & behaviour data
    Persistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
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Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

23 Jan 2024
View Report
Overall Effectiveness
Good
Quality of Education
Good
Behaviour & Attitudes
Good
Personal Development
Good
Leadership & Management
Good
Early Years Provision
Good

Source: Ofsted, 4 Mar 2024. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

7
LibraryPlaying FieldsSensory RoomArt StudiosSports HallMusic RoomsChapel

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

12

Sports

TennisSwimmingRoundersCross CountryNetballAthleticsCricket

Clubs & Activities

Eco ClubFilm ClubGardeningBook ClubScience Club

Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.

SEND Support

AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguageVisionLearning Difficulty

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Lift St Helen's

Lift St Helen's has been rated "Good" by Ofsted. This means the school provides a good standard of education and effectively supports all pupils to succeed.