Athersley North Primary School, Barnsley

Ofsted's report card from its 19 May 2026 inspection grades Athersley North Primary School on 7 areas: 5 expected standard and 2 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "In recent years, leaders have made improvements to the quality of the curriculum."

Early years - Expected standard. "The curriculum in the early years is well planned and considered."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "A number of pupils at the school face additional barriers."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders are ambitious for pupils at their school."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Personal development is well embedded across school."

Achievement - Needs attention. "The school effectively reduces pupils' barriers to learning and ensures that the curriculum is taught well."

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "Leaders have developed detailed and timely systems to act upon gaps in pupil attendance."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that gaps in pupils' key knowledge in writing and reading in key stage 2 are quickly closed by embedding the recent improvements in the teaching of these aspects of the curriculum"; "Leaders should ensure that outcomes in core subjects, particularly in reading, continue to improve and move towards national averages"; "Leaders should ensure that systems to improve attendance are embedded, so they lead to pupils attending school more regularly"; "Leaders should refine the provision in the early years, including outdoors, to ensure activity choices more precisely match learning and address gaps in pupils' knowledge".

In its own words: "Athersley North Primary School is situated in the heart of Athersley on the outskirts of Barnsley. Our mission statement emphasises the importance of the community to the school and the school to the community."

In 2025, 54% of Year 6 pupils at Athersley North Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 59% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 79% in Barnsley and 77% and 75% across England.

Results rose from 40% in reading and 50% in maths in 2024.

For September 2026 entry, 29 families put Athersley North Primary School as their first choice and 48 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to Athersley North Primary School are Laithes Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 74% reading, 76% maths); Athersley South Primary School (0.6 miles, 68% reading, 78% maths); Mapplewell Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 89% reading, 89% maths); and Wellgate Primary School (1 mile, Good, 79% reading, 81% maths).

Each of them had higher 2025 results than Athersley North Primary School.

54.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 11% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 74 pupils (25.5%) received SEN support and 17 (5.9%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.

The nearest railway station is Darton Rail Station, about 2 miles away in a straight line.

7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Newstead Road/Lindhurst Road (near), 120 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Athersley North Primary School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In 2024/25, Athersley North Primary School issued 44 suspensions, 15.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.

The secondary schools closest to Athersley North Primary School are Holy Trinity Catholic and Church of England School (1.1 miles) and Outwood Academy Carlton (1.4 miles).