St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Barnsley

About St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Barnsley

St Mary’s Church of England Primary School in Barnsley sits within a local authority where just three out of 77 primary schools hold an Outstanding rating from Ofsted, so its current Good grade places it in solid company. Among the 70 primary schools in Barnsley, St Mary’s ranks 8th overall, putting it in the top 25 per cent nationally for the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths. The three top-performing peers in the area are Hoylandswaine Primary School, Thurgoland Church of England Primary School and Hunningley Primary Academy, all of which score higher on the same ranking metric. St Mary’s itself achieved a ranking score of 80, which is well above the local authority average of 63 for Key Stage 2 outcomes. The school is a mixed, state-funded primary for children aged 4 to 11, with a Church of England religious character, and is led by headteacher Lee Spencer.

In its most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2024, St Mary’s was rated Good overall, with Outstanding marks for personal development and for behaviour and attitudes. The quality of education, early years provision and leadership and management were all judged Good. This represents a change from the school’s previous inspection in 2013, when it was rated Outstanding across the board. At Key Stage 2 in the 2023/24 academic year, 80 per cent of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, compared with a Barnsley average of 63 per cent. In reading, 87 per cent reached the expected level and 47 per cent achieved a higher standard. Maths saw 90 per cent at expected and 50 per cent at a higher level, with an average scaled score of 108. Writing and the combined higher standard both sat at 17 per cent. The school’s Progress 8 scores are not available, but the attainment figures are strong relative to the local picture.

St Mary’s has capacity for 226 pupils and currently enrols 217, with 12.4 per cent eligible for free school meals. The school was oversubscribed for 2025/26 reception places, receiving 45 applications for 24 places, with 21 first-preference offers made. Facilities include a gymnasium, ICT suite, music rooms, art studios, a sensory room, an outdoor playground and a chapel. Sports offered are netball, football, gymnastics, tennis and dance, and clubs include drama, coding, art, chess and choir. The school has SEND provision for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. This is a school that suits families looking for a church-affiliated primary with strong academic results in a local authority where top-performing schools are few, and where behaviour and personal development are rated as outstanding.

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