Best Schools in Barnsley

How many schools are there in Barnsley?

Barnsley has 80 open schools: 64 state primary, 10 state secondary or all-through, 5 special and 1 other.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Barnsley are rated Outstanding?

7 schools in Barnsley were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Trinity Academy St. Edwards, Gawber Primary School, Hunningley Primary Academy, The Forest Academy, Cherry Dale Primary School and 2 more. Counting Good as well, 94% of the 68 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Trinity Academy St. EdwardsGawber Primary SchoolHunningley Primary AcademyThe Forest AcademyCherry Dale Primary School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Barnsley get the best GCSE results?

Of the 11 schools in Barnsley with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Trinity Academy St. Edwards, with an Attainment 8 score of 53.4 and 66% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Darton Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 50.7 and 66% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Horizon Community College, with an Attainment 8 score of 49 and 53% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Trinity Academy St. EdwardsDarton AcademyHorizon Community College

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Barnsley have the best SATs results?

Of the 59 primary schools in Barnsley with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Summerfields Primary Academy (91% in reading, 100% in maths); Silkstone Common Junior and Infant School (95% in reading, 95% in maths); and Bank End Primary Academy (92% in reading, 96% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Summerfields Primary AcademySilkstone Common Junior and Infant SchoolBank End Primary Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Barnsley?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Barnsley selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Barnsley have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Barnsley have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, the council allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Barnsley?

Apply to your council - Barnsley, Rotherham or Wakefield, depending on your address - through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.