The Mill Academy

About The Mill Academy

The Mill Academy in Barnsley has been rated Good by Ofsted overall, but its most recent graded inspection in 2017 gave it a Good rating for both overall effectiveness and leadership and management, with an Outstanding mark for early years provision. An ungraded inspection in 2022 confirmed the school remains Good. This is a significant improvement from its previous inspection in 2013, when it was rated Inadequate. However, the school's academic outcomes at Key Stage 2 tell a more mixed story. In the 2023/24 academic year, only 47% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared to the Barnsley local authority average of 63%. That places the school 62nd out of 70 primary schools in the borough, putting it in the bottom 50% nationally.

Digging into the individual subjects, the picture is slightly brighter for reading and maths. 63% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, and 57% did so in maths, with average scaled scores of 103 in both subjects. Writing also saw 57% at expected, but no pupils achieved the higher standard in either writing or the combined reading, writing and maths measure. In maths, 27% reached the higher standard, and 17% did so in reading. Progress scores are not available for the school, so it is hard to say whether pupils are making typical gains from their starting points. The school serves a community with high levels of disadvantage: 44.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average. This context may help explain why outcomes are below the local average, though the school is clearly working hard to improve.

The Mill Academy is a primary school for children aged 3 to 11, with nursery provision on site. It is at full capacity with 220 pupils, and for the 2025/26 intake it was oversubscribed: 29 first-preference applications were made for 29 places, but 52 applications in total were received, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.79. The school offers a broad range of facilities including a library, forest school, music rooms, sensory room, sports hall and a chapel. Sports include cricket, rounders, athletics, cross country and tennis, and clubs range from film club and coding to art and eco club. SEND provision covers specific learning difficulties, speech and language needs, social and emotional mental health, physical disability and autistic spectrum disorder. This is a school that suits families looking for a well-equipped, inclusive primary with strong early years provision, though those prioritising top academic results may want to look at higher-performing local options like Hoylandswaine Primary School or Thurgoland Church of England Primary.

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