School Chooser

Wellgate Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedAcademy424 pupilsNurseryBarnsley
School Chooser Score
51
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 29 to 72
Out of 100. Better than 48% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
Reached the expected level at 1172%England 63%
Attendance93.7%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families24%About the same as most schools in England
PlacesFull424 pupils, 414 places
Pupils per teacher22.7School workforce census
Pupils on roll424Census January 2026

Wellgate Primary School is a converter academy in Barnsley for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 424 pupils, 10 more than it has places for. About 24 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, about the same as most schools in England. We give it 51 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 48% of the 50 schools most like it.

George Street, Mapplewell, Barnsley, S75 6HR01226 383739wellgateprimary.comMrs Lauren Johnstone headteacherAll details

Ofsted

Ofsted hasn't published an inspection for this school yet.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1172%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level7%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score106.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score106.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 58%58%20172018: 61%61%20182019: 58%58%20192023: 63%63%20232024: 53%53%20242025: 72%72%2025
Since 2017: +14%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017†BarnsleyEngland
Pupils tested575956624152
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths72%53%63%58%61%58%66%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths7%10%7%8%15%10%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score106.0104.0103.0103.0107.0102.0105.6105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score106.0104.0104.0106.0105.0105.0104.8104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score107.0105.0105.0106.0108.0107.0105.0105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard79%75%79%69%78%65%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard81%73%77%81%71%69%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)77%59%70%73%71%75%
Reading progressReading progress score+0.0+1.2+3.1-1.5
Maths progressMaths progress score+2.0+3.0+2.5+1.6
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged68%53%43%52%25%35%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged74%53%74%62%76%72%

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.

† These results are for Wellgate Primary School, the school this one replaced in February 2017. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

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. Every gap at this school 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 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
68%74%
Gap 6 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
75%70%
Gap 5 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
5%7%
Gap 2 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.

A few spare places393 pupils for 420 places, 2024/25
94% full

About 27 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have grown by 6% since 2021/22, so places are getting harder to come by.

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 roll424Census January 2026
Places414102% full
Pupils from low-income families22%24% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English5%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support15%64 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan3%13 pupils with a plan
Average class size27.415 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils7%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)23%£137,950 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls216 / 208
White British pupils89%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 26.8 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 28.3 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (32), emotional and mental health (19), Moderate learning difficulty (11), Specific learning difficulty (5), Autistic spectrum disorder (2), Hearing impairment (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll424419435419406406
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals22%22%24%24%22%24%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language5%4%4%3%3%2%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support12%10%12%10%8%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%3%3%3%3%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance93.7%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school19.0%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils3.62024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission2.2%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.3%7.0%6.3%6.9%3.6%5.0%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.1%4.5%4.2%5.3%2.9%3.2%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence2.2%2.5%2.2%1.6%0.7%1.8%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence19.0%24.6%19.0%21.7%8.0%14.0%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate3.61.81.90.00.3
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00101

Staff and money

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

Teachers18.2full-time equivalent, 21 people
Pupils per teacher22.7Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants17.2full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£50,501
Teachers who left in the year10%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher9.92024/25

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£6,357England £7,128. Total £2.6m
Income per pupil£6,118England £7,587. Total £2.5m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,966England £3,405
Money in reserve17%A healthy amount put by: £442k, £1,066 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out-£99kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£6,357spent 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 m20412 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate60 per 1,000 people34% lower than the England average
Nearest bus stop80 mNew Road/Zion Drive, 22 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
Mapplewell Primary SchoolAcademy490 m343Good 202488Compare
Darton Primary SchoolAcademy0.8 miles297Good 202229Compare
Athersley North Primary SchoolCouncil1.0 miles290Report card 20264Compare
Laithes Primary SchoolAcademy1.4 miles308Report card 202664Compare
Athersley South Primary SchoolAcademy1.5 miles306Not inspected74Compare
Wilthorpe Primary SchoolAcademy1.6 miles394Good 202454Compare
Kexborough Primary SchoolAcademy1.8 miles187Not inspected29Compare
Summerfields Primary AcademyAcademy1.9 miles214Good 202385Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Wellgate Primary School with the 46 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 46 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats48%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 51 is about the same as the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 6 · middle 52 · highest 100100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 46 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Wellgate Primary School, 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.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Northfield Primary SchoolAcademy7.7 miles348Requires improvement 202291Compare
Halfpenny Lane Junior Infant and Nursery SchoolAcademy10.2 miles434No overall grade 2025100Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 51 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 51% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 29 to 72. 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
+0.01
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 57 pupils
Ofsted inspection0%no data
Progress pupils make20%in line
+0.03
DfE progress measure; 57 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.06
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.10
2024/25; 353 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
+0.00
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 57 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 Wellgate Primary School a good school?

It is about average. Wellgate Primary School scores 51 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 48% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 29 to 72, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

How good are Wellgate Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 72% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 7% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Wellgate Primary School have?

424 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 414 places, so it is 102% full.

Is Wellgate Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 27 places were empty in 2024/25 (6% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Wellgate Primary School?

Pupils were in school 93.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 19% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Wellgate Primary School?

The average class had 27.4 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 7% 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
George Street, Mapplewell, Barnsley, S75 6HR
Telephone
01226 383739
Website
www.wellgateprimary.com
Headteacher
Mrs Lauren Johnstone
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Every Child Matters Academy Trust (11 schools)
Local authority
Barnsley
Ward
Darton East
Constituency
Barnsley North
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 February 2017 (academy converter)
URN
143555 · LAESTAB 3702142 · UKPRN 10061936
Formerly
Wellgate Primary School

Where these figures come from