New Pastures Primary School

About New Pastures Primary School

New Pastures Primary School in Doncaster is clearly a popular choice among local families. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 29 applications for just 17 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.71, and all 17 first-preference applicants were offered a spot. This level of demand suggests strong parent confidence, though the school does not publish a parent recommendation percentage to confirm that directly. The school is a mixed, state primary for children aged 2 to 11, with a nursery provision on site. It has a capacity of 280 and currently enrols 258 pupils, so there is a little breathing room, but the oversubscription figures show that getting a place is competitive. Headteacher Sarah Hall leads a school that has clearly turned a corner, as its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2024 rated it Good across all five categories, including behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision.

Academically, New Pastures sits in the bottom half of primary schools nationally and within Doncaster. Its key stage 2 results for 2023/24 show that 53% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is below the local authority average of 61%. The school ranks 62nd out of 87 primary schools in Doncaster on this measure. Looking at individual subjects, 63% met the expected standard in reading and 69% in maths, while 71% did so in writing. Higher attainment is less common: 17% reached the higher standard in reading and maths, but only 3% did so in writing. Average scores in reading and maths both sit at 103, which is around the national average. The school does not publish progress scores for these subjects, so it is hard to say how much value it adds relative to pupils’ starting points. The previous Ofsted inspection in 2018 rated the school Requires Improvement, so the jump to Good across the board in 2024 is a notable improvement.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including a library, music rooms, a sensory room, playing fields and an outdoor playground. Sports provision covers athletics, tennis, netball, rounders, gymnastics, swimming and cricket, and there are clubs such as drama, choir, chess, film club, art club and coding. For children with additional needs, the school lists support for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, speech, language and communication needs, social, emotional and mental health needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. With 37.1% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a relatively disadvantaged catchment. The religious character is listed as ‘does not apply’, so there is no faith-based admissions criteria. This is a school that has improved its Ofsted rating recently and is in demand locally, but whose academic results sit below the LA average. It will suit families who prioritise a supportive, inclusive environment and the convenience of on-site nursery provision over top-tier exam scores.

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