Outwood Academy Shafton
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Outwood Academy Shafton is a sponsored academy in Barnsley for boys and girls aged 11 to 16. It has 1,377 pupils, 27 more than it has places for. About 38 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 29 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 40% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2025, no overall grade.
Engine Lane, Shafton, Barnsley, S72 8RE01226 717730shafton.outwood.comPrincipal Alison McQueen principalAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 7 May 2025, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Not judged Between September 2024 and November 2025, Ofsted graded each area but stopped giving one overall word.
Earlier inspections (1)
| Date | Type | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 27 September 2023 | Ungraded | School remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next |
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
263 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
All GCSE measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 | Barnsley | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 263 | 259 | 254 | 261 | 185 | 180 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 42.0 | 40.7 | 40.2 | 42.5 | 41.7 | 41.5 | 41.5 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | -0.44 | -0.61 | -0.41 | -0.14 | -0.14 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 45% | 38% | 34% | 39% | 39% | 36% | 42% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 63% | 61% | 59% | 62% | 60% | 58% | 60% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 3.58 | 3.54 | 3.47 | 3.65 | 3.21 | 3.19 | 3.66 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 23% | 43% | 33% | 30% | 9% | 9% | 32% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 34.0 | 31.7 | 28.1 | 33.6 | 38.5 | 34.0 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 46.7 | 46.9 | 46.0 | 48.1 | 43.9 | 47.2 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 19.4 | 19.6 | 26.0 | 27.7 | 24.4 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 61.2 | 59.9 | 69.7 | 56.3 | 59.0 | – | – |
Subjects
Results came out for 14 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.
Strongest subjects
Subjects that did worse than the England average: Biology (48% here, 82% across England), Spanish (26% here, 54% across England), Computer Science (36% here, 56% across England), English Literature (45% here, 58% across England).
The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.
Every subject against England, 2025
| Subject | Entries | Grades 9 to 7 | Grades 9 to 5 | Grades 9 to 4 | England 9 to 5 | Rank in England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 262 | 14% | 49% | 67% | 53% | 1,751 of 3,211 |
| English Literature | 262 | 8% | 45% | 61% | 58% | 2,369 of 3,202 |
| English Language | 262 | 14% | 53% | 71% | 54% | 1,510 of 3,210 |
| Combined Science | 215 | 4% | 37% | 54% | 36% | 1,348 of 3,084 |
| Art and Design | 156 | 21% | 72% | 90% | 58% | 764 of 2,818 |
| Geography | 124 | 14% | 43% | 50% | 51% | 1,920 of 3,116 |
| History | 112 | 23% | 45% | 54% | 52% | 1,943 of 3,126 |
| Design & Technology | 56 | 16% | 43% | 68% | 50% | 860 of 1,478 |
| Computer Science | 47 | 4% | 36% | 60% | 56% | 1,436 of 1,861 |
| Biology | 46 | 33% | 48% | 50% | 82% | 2,406 of 2,570 |
| French | 36 | 42% | 78% | 89% | 60% | 475 of 1,974 |
| Physics | 24 | 54% | 96% | 96% | 82% | 730 of 2,546 |
| Spanish | 23 | 4% | 26% | 39% | 54% | 1,762 of 1,941 |
| Chemistry | 23 | 78% | 100% | 100% | 81% | 151 of 2,537 |
In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.
Does every child do well here?
A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. None of the gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.
At GCSE, 2025
Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.
Getting a place
Open to all. There is no entrance test.
About 87 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.
Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Barnsley council's admissions booklet, send it to us.
Who goes here
Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (46), Moderate learning difficulty (44), language and communications needs (31), Specific learning difficulty (18), Autistic spectrum disorder (12), Physical disability (4).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 1,377 | 1,380 | 1,382 | 1,367 | 1,378 | 1,321 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 38% | 36% | 36% | 33% | 32% | 29% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 5% | 5% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 4% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 7% | 7% | 9% | 7% | 8% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 3% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 88.3% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 11.7% | 12.6% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 8.9% | 9.0% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 5.6% | 7.2% | 6.9% | 7.1% | 5.6% | 4.5% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 6.2% | 5.4% | 5.1% | 4.6% | 3.3% | 4.5% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 29.2% | 35.1% | 37.5% | 38.0% | 27.5% | 28.7% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 40.7 | 37.6 | 18.0 | 42.0 | 14.1 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 3 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 254 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 68%, compared with 92% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 84% | 87% | 92% | 91% |
| Education | 75% | 76% | 81% | 80% |
| Apprenticeship | 5% | 3% | 5% | 6% |
| Work | 4% | 7% | 5% | 5% |
| Not in education, work or training | 8% | 10% | 6% | 9% |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other secondary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.
The area around the school
Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.
Nearby schools
The closest secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outwood Academy Carlton | Academy | 1.8 miles | 1,109 | Not inspected | 27 | Compare |
| Holy Trinity Catholic and Church of England School | Academy | 2.3 miles | 1,108 | No overall grade 2025 | 6 | Compare |
| Outwood Academy Hemsworth | Academy | 3.0 miles | 1,101 | No overall grade 2025 | 37 | Compare |
| Netherwood Academy | Academy | 3.9 miles | 1,229 | Good 2024 | 33 | Compare |
| Barnsley Academy | Academy | 4.0 miles | 874 | Good 2020 | 42 | Compare |
| Minsthorpe Community College | Academy | 4.8 miles | 1,609 | Good 2023 | 48 | Compare |
| Trinity Academy St. Edwards | Free school | 4.8 miles | 882 | Outstanding 2024 | 85 | Compare |
| Horizon Community College | Academy | 4.8 miles | 1,909 | Good 2023 | 61 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Outwood Academy Shafton with the 50 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 50 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher
Of those 50 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Outwood Academy Shafton, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horizon Community College | Academy | 4.8 miles | 1,909 | Good 2023 | 61 | Compare |
| Kirk Balk Academy | Academy | 6.2 miles | 1,318 | Good 2020 | 44 | Compare |
| Carleton High School | Academy | 7.5 miles | 1,026 | Not inspected | 59 | Compare |
| Castleford Academy | Academy | 9.9 miles | 1,480 | No overall grade 2025 | 68 | Compare |
| Don Valley Academy | Academy | 10.0 miles | 1,093 | Good 2024 | 73 | Compare |
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 29 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 29% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 21 to 38. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.
| What we looked at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 20% | below | -0.10 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 263 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | in line | +0.02 | Ofsted grade, 1.4 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | below | -0.17 | DfE progress measure; 263 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | above | +0.05 | results and attendance rising year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | below | -0.09 | 2024/25; 1,449 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | in line | +0.01 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 263 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | well below | -0.07 | 254 pupils |
| What parents say | 0% | no data | – |
Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.
Questions parents ask
Is Outwood Academy Shafton a good school?
The figures are weak. Outwood Academy Shafton scores 29 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 40% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 21 to 38, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is Outwood Academy Shafton's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Outwood Academy Shafton not judged at its last full inspection on 7 May 2025.
How good are Outwood Academy Shafton's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 45% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 42.0, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished about half a grade behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How many pupils does Outwood Academy Shafton have?
1,377 pupils aged 11 to 16 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,350 places, so it is 102% full.
Is Outwood Academy Shafton oversubscribed?
Probably not. 87 places were empty in 2024/25 (6% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.
What is attendance like at Outwood Academy Shafton?
Pupils were in school 88.3% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 29% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Outwood Academy Shafton?
The average class had 23.9 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 11% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Outwood Academy Shafton have a sixth form?
No. Pupils leave after Year 11 for a sixth form elsewhere, a college or an apprenticeship; 84% of 2022/23 leavers were still in education, work or training six months on.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Engine Lane, Shafton, Barnsley, S72 8RE
- Telephone
- 01226 717730
- Website
- www.shafton.outwood.com
- Principal
- Principal Alison McQueen
- Type of school
- Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Multi-academy trust
- Outwood Grange Academies Trust (40 schools)
- Local authority
- Barnsley
- Ward
- North East
- Constituency
- Barnsley North
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 March 2015 (new provision)
- URN
- 139211 · LAESTAB 3704003 · UKPRN 10040077
- Formerly
- Shafton Advanced Learning Centre
Recent changes
- New KS4 results for 2024/25
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.