Outwood Academy Shafton

About Outwood Academy Shafton

Outwood Academy Shafton's headline Progress 8 score of -0.44 tells a story that is slightly better than the local picture, but still below the national average. For context, the average Progress 8 score across all secondary schools in Barnsley is -0.51, meaning pupils at this school make marginally more academic progress from their starting points than their peers in other local schools. That said, the school ranks 8th out of 11 schools in the local authority on this measure, placing it in the bottom half of Barnsley's secondary provision. Nationally, it sits in the bottom 50% of schools, at the 80th percentile. The school's Attainment 8 score of 40.7 gives a sense of the raw grades pupils achieve, though without the LA average for that metric it's hard to say exactly how that compares locally. What is clear is that the school is not among the top performers in the area, but it is also not the lowest.

Looking more closely at the breakdown, the school's strongest Progress 8 subject area is English, where pupils score -0.12, much closer to the national average. Maths is weaker at -0.49, and the EBacc subjects are the most challenging at -0.65. The basics measure shows that 61.4% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in both English and maths, but only 38.2% reached the higher grade 5 threshold. The EBacc entry rate is 42.9%, with 22% achieving the full EBacc at grade 4 or above. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2025, the school was rated Good across all four graded areas: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. This is consistent with its previous Good rating from 2018, so the school has maintained its standard over time. The Parent View survey, based on 114 responses, shows 82% of parents would recommend the school, with strong majorities agreeing their child is happy and feels safe.

The school is oversubscribed for 2025/26, with 357 applications for 260 places, and 258 of the 273 first-preference applicants receiving offers. This suggests it is a popular choice locally. Facilities are extensive, including a theatre, sports hall, astro turf, science labs, music rooms, and art studios, plus a sixth form centre despite the school only going to age 16. Sports offered include netball, athletics, swimming, cricket, dance, rowing, badminton, and martial arts, while clubs cover orchestra, choir, film club, newspaper, and drama. The school supports a wide range of SEND needs, including dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health, speech and language needs, hearing impairment, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. However, the Parent View data on SEND support is mixed: while 58% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that SEND children get the support they need, 38% strongly disagreed, which is a notable split. With 35.7% of pupils eligible for free school meals, this is a school serving a community with above-average disadvantage, and its results should be viewed in that light. It will suit families who want a large, well-equipped secondary with a Good Ofsted rating and a broad range of activities, but who are realistic about academic outcomes that sit below the national average.

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