School Chooser

Thurgoland Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedChurch of England202 pupilsSheffieldBarnsley
School Chooser Score
92
Well above
similar schools
Likely range 82 to 96
Out of 100. Better than 83% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, July 2022
Reached the expected level at 1187%England 63%
Attendance97.2%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families8%Far fewer than most schools
Places8 spare202 pupils, 210 places
Pupils per teacher22.4School workforce census

Thurgoland Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School is a Church of England school (voluntary controlled) in Sheffield for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 202 pupils and room for 210. About 8 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 92 out of 100. That puts it well above schools like it, ahead of 83% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.

Halifax Road, Thurgoland, Sheffield, S35 7AL0114 288 3300thurgolandprimary.orgMr D Jordan headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 6 July 2022, 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

This inspection is more than 4 years old. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of one grade.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1187%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level29%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score110.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score108.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 78%78%20172018: 83%83%20182019: 74%74%20192023: 73%73%20232024: 85%85%20242025: 87%87%2025
Since 2017: +9%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017BarnsleyEngland
Pupils tested312733342932
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths87%85%73%74%83%78%66%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths29%15%15%12%17%19%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score110.0106.0107.0106.0107.0107.0105.6105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score108.0105.0106.0107.0106.0107.0104.8104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score110.0105.0107.0109.0108.0108.0105.0105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard90%89%79%82%97%91%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard94%89%76%82%90%91%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)90%93%82%88%93%88%
Reading progressReading progress score+0.8+0.3+0.5+0.7
Maths progressMaths progress score+0.2+1.2+0.8+1.2
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged50%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged79%

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. 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 the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
77%94%
Gap 17 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

Admissions policy not published. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Nearly full205 pupils for 210 places, 2024/25
98% full

Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. 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 roll202Census January 2026
Places21096% full
Pupils from low-income families8%8% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English1%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support12%24 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%3 pupils with a plan
Average class size28.97 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils29%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)9%£26,350 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls103 / 99
White British pupils94%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 26.7 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 30.5 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (8), emotional and mental health (7), Specific learning difficulty (6), Moderate learning difficulty (3), Autistic spectrum disorder (2), Multi-sensory impairment (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll202204206213207202
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals8%8%10%10%9%7%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language1%1%2%3%1%2%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support13%9%10%5%5%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans1%1%2%3%4%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 97.2% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance97.2%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school5.0%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.9%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence2.8%3.9%3.8%5.2%1.8%3.1%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.0%2.9%2.7%4.2%1.3%2.1%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.9%1.0%1.1%1.0%0.5%1.0%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence5.0%7.0%6.0%11.7%2.3%2.8%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.00.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers9.0full-time equivalent, 12 people
Pupils per teacher22.4Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants6.0full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£42,133
Teachers who left in the year6%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher0.52024/25

Money

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

Spend per pupil£5,906England £7,738. Total £1.2m
Income per pupil£5,940England £7,697. Total £1.2m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,918England £3,480
Money in reserve3%Not much put by: £40k, £195 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£6,962it took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£5,906spent 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 m3412 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate56 per 1,000 people38% lower than the England average
Nearest bus stop20 mHalifax Road/Roper House Lane, 14 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
Oxspring Primary SchoolCouncil1.3 miles135Good 202481Compare
Silkstone Common Junior and Infant SchoolCouncil1.9 miles135Good 202286Compare
Springvale Primary SchoolCouncil2.2 miles227Good 202387Compare
Royd Nursery and Infant SchoolCouncil2.3 miles207No overall grade 202482Compare
Deepcar St John's Church of England Junior SchoolChurch of England2.3 miles160Good 202452Compare
St Ann's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary AcademyAcademy2.3 miles97Good 201926Compare
Stocksbridge Nursery Infant SchoolAcademy2.3 miles184Not inspectedCompare
Stocksbridge Junior SchoolAcademy2.5 miles237No overall grade 202594Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Thurgoland Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School with the 48 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 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats83%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 92 is 21 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 21 · middle 71 · highest 99100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 92 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 92% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 82 to 96. 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%above
+0.25
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 31 pupils
Ofsted inspection17% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 4.2 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
+0.04
DfE progress measure; 31 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well above
+0.15
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well above
+0.14
2024/25; 181 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well above
+0.15
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 31 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 Thurgoland Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Thurgoland Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School scores 92 out of 100. That is well above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 83% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 82 to 96, 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 Thurgoland Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Thurgoland Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School good at its last full inspection on 6 July 2022. That was more than four years ago. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of a single grade.

How good are Thurgoland Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 87% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 29% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Thurgoland Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School have?

202 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 210 places, so it is 96% full.

Is Thurgoland Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School oversubscribed?

Often. Fewer than one place in twenty was empty in 2024/25, so popular year groups fill up.

What is attendance like at Thurgoland Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School?

Pupils were in school 97.2% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 5% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Thurgoland Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School?

The average class had 28.9 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 29% 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
Halifax Road, Thurgoland, Sheffield, S35 7AL
Telephone
0114 288 3300
Website
thurgolandprimary.org
Headteacher
Mr D Jordan
Type of school
Church of England school (voluntary controlled) (Voluntary controlled school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Sheffield
Local authority
Barnsley
Ward
Penistone East
Constituency
Penistone and Stocksbridge
Setting
Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
106626 · LAESTAB 3703004 · UKPRN 10068649

Where these figures come from