St Michael and All Angels Catholic Primary School

About St Michael and All Angels Catholic Primary School

St Michael and All Angels Catholic Primary School in Barnsley sits below the local authority average for Key Stage 2 outcomes, with 48% of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined against a Barnsley average of 63%. This places the school 57th out of 70 primaries in the borough, firmly in the bottom half of the LA rankings. The gap is notable, though the school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2024 judged it Good overall, a significant improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2016. Leadership and management, early years provision, and the quality of education all earned Good grades. The school is oversubscribed for 2025/26, receiving 28 applications for 16 places, with all 15 first-preference families offered a spot. That level of demand suggests local parents see value beyond the headline exam figures.

Looking closer at the 2023/24 SATs data, individual subject scores tell a more nuanced story. In reading, 71% of pupils met the expected standard and the average scaled score was 104, which is above the national benchmark of 100. Maths saw the same proportion reach the expected level, with an average score of 101. Writing lagged slightly at 67% expected. At the higher standard, just 14% achieved it in reading and maths, and only 5% in writing. No pupils reached the higher threshold across all three subjects. The school’s Progress 8 scores are not available, so it’s hard to say how much value the school adds relative to intake. The Ofsted report notes the school remains Good following an ungraded inspection, and the early years provision has improved from Requires Improvement to Good since the last graded visit.

The school serves a relatively disadvantaged intake, with 31% of pupils eligible for free school meals, well above the national average. Its SEND provisions cover specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, speech and language needs, social and emotional mental health, and visual impairment. Facilities include a sensory room, chapel, sports hall, gymnasium, ICT suite, and art studios. Sports offered range from tennis and swimming to netball and cross country, while clubs include coding, chess, eco club and science club. The school is a Roman Catholic state primary for mixed-gender pupils aged 4 to 11, with a capacity of 140 and currently 142 on roll. It has no nursery or sixth form. For families prioritising a faith-based environment and a school that has turned around its Ofsted rating, St Michael and All Angels is a solid local option, though those focused purely on academic rankings may want to compare with higher-performing peers like Hunningley Primary Academy, 3.9 km away.

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