School Chooser

Outwood Primary Academy Darfield

Primary · ages 3-11MixedAcademy221 pupilsNurseryBarnsley
School Chooser Score
66
Above
similar schools
Likely range 39 to 84, so it could be “in line”
Out of 100. Better than 84% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, April 2024
Reached the expected level at 1176%England 63%
Attendance96.4%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families33%A bit more than most schools
PlacesFull221 pupils, 210 places
Pupils per teacher20.4School workforce census

Outwood Primary Academy Darfield is a sponsored academy in Barnsley for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 221 pupils, 11 more than it has places for. About 33 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit more than at most schools. We give it 66 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 84% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.

Snape Hill Road, Darfield, Barnsley, S73 9LT01226 753048Mrs Amy Harrison headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 9 April 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

21 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1176%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level24%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score106.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score107.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 68%68%20172018: 76%76%20182019: 81%81%20192023: 78%78%20232024: 58%58%20242025: 76%76%2025
Since 2017: +8%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017BarnsleyEngland
Pupils tested211927272519
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths76%58%78%81%76%68%66%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths24%0%4%15%16%16%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score106.0101.0104.0103.0104.0100.0105.6105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score107.099.0107.0104.0106.0105.0104.8104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score102.096.0103.0104.0104.0101.0105.0105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard76%63%81%89%76%68%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard86%68%89%85%92%79%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)86%63%81%85%96%89%
Reading progressReading progress score-2.0+2.2+1.3-0.7
Maths progressMaths progress score+1.7+2.1+3.5+3.4
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged86%44%64%63%50%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged71%70%88%89%100%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

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. 2 of the 3 gaps are 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 the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
86%71%
Gap 15 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
75%78%
Gap 3 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
29%24%
Gap 5 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

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.

A few spare places190 pupils for 210 places, 2024/25
91% full

About 20 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.

Pupils on roll221Census January 2026
Places210105% full
Pupils from low-income families32%33% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English20%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support13%28 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%5 pupils with a plan
Average class size22.89 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils11%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)31%£93,000 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls114 / 107
White British pupils67%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 26.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 27.3 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (19), Autistic spectrum disorder (6), emotional and mental health (3), Vision impairment (2), Hearing impairment (1), Moderate learning difficulty (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll221221210217214225
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals32%29%31%34%32%27%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language20%24%20%16%16%15%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support9%10%12%12%10%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%3%1%1%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.4% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.4%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school5.9%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils1.82024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.6%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence3.6%5.7%6.5%6.8%4.0%5.1%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.0%3.6%4.2%5.1%2.8%3.3%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.6%2.1%2.3%1.7%1.2%1.8%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence5.9%16.2%24.7%21.6%9.4%16.3%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate1.818.118.46.54.9
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions02000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers10.2full-time equivalent, 11 people
Pupils per teacher20.4Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants6.9full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£53,179
Teachers who left in the year17%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher1.62024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£7,263England £7,128. Total £1.5m
Income per pupil£7,329England £7,587. Total £1.6m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,296England £3,405
Money in reserve19%A healthy amount put by: £300k, £1,408 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£14kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,263spent per pupil

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

Crimes within 500 m28312 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate97 per 1,000 people7% higher than the England average
Nearest bus stop40 mSnape Hill Road/Doveside Drive, 17 stops within 500 m

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 primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
St Michael and All Angels Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic500 m141Good 202422Compare
Upperwood AcademyAcademy720 m298Not inspected38Compare
All Saints Academy DarfieldAcademy970 m207Requires improvement 20246Compare
Wombwell Park Street Primary SchoolAcademy0.9 miles346Good 202347Compare
Kings Oak PrimaryAcademy1.1 miles433Not inspectedCompare
High View Primary Learning CentreAcademy1.2 miles467Good 202454Compare
Brampton Cortonwood Infant SchoolAcademy1.4 miles110Report card 20269Compare
The Ellis Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy1.8 miles227Good 2022Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Outwood Primary Academy Darfield with the 49 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 49 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats84%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 66 is 35 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 2 · middle 31 · highest 98100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 66 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 66% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 39 to 84. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. 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 atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%in line
-0.02
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 21 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 2.4 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.08
DfE progress measure; 21 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well above
+0.11
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.09
2024/25; 169 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%above
+0.08
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 21 pupils
What parents say0%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 Primary Academy Darfield a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Outwood Primary Academy Darfield scores 66 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 84% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 39 to 84, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been getting better over the last five years.

What is Outwood Primary Academy Darfield's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Outwood Primary Academy Darfield good at its last full inspection on 9 April 2024.

How good are Outwood Primary Academy Darfield's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 76% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 24% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Outwood Primary Academy Darfield have?

221 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 210 places, so it is 105% full.

Is Outwood Primary Academy Darfield oversubscribed?

Probably not. 20 places were empty in 2024/25 (10% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Outwood Primary Academy Darfield?

Pupils were in school 96.4% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 6% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Outwood Primary Academy Darfield?

The average class had 22.8 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 11% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Snape Hill Road, Darfield, Barnsley, S73 9LT
Telephone
01226 753048
Headteacher
Mrs Amy Harrison
Type of school
Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
None
Multi-academy trust
Outwood Grange Academies Trust (40 schools)
Local authority
Barnsley
Ward
Darfield
Constituency
Barnsley South
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 May 2016 (fresh start)
URN
143940 · LAESTAB 3702049 · UKPRN 10062381
Formerly
The Darfield Primary Academy

Where these figures come from