Bessacarr Primary, Doncaster
Bessacarr Primary is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Doncaster, part of Empowering Minds Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 31st-highest of the 96 schools in Doncaster with published results, and 4,602nd of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 101% of capacity.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Doncaster (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Bessacarr Primary in detail
Bessacarr Primary in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "We want you to love your learning and be interested in what you do at school and beyond. We want you to learn to be creative and independent and to be resilient in everything you do - even if you fail! In our schools, we have very high expectations of you all."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 81% of Year 6 pupils at Bessacarr Primary reached the expected standard in reading and 84% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 77% in Doncaster and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 80% in reading and 77% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Bessacarr Primary
For September 2026 entry, 49 families put Bessacarr Primary as their first choice and 135 named it as one of their preferences, for 53 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Bessacarr Primary are Willow Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 90% reading, 90% maths); Hawthorn Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 70% reading, 64% maths); St Peter's Catholic Primary School (0.8 miles, 76% reading, 66% maths); and Lakeside Primary Academy (0.9 miles, Good, 63% reading, 61% maths).
Bessacarr Primary's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
Willow Primary SchoolHawthorn Primary SchoolSt Peter's Catholic Primary SchoolLakeside Primary Academy
The trust
Bessacarr Primary is one of 5 schools run by Empowering Minds Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 68% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
4.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 33 pupils (7.1%) received SEN support and 15 (3.2%) 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.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Doncaster Rail Station, about 2.2 miles away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Ellers Road/Ellers Avenue (opposite), 140 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Bessacarr Primary stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Bessacarr Primary issued 1 suspension, 0.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Bessacarr Primary are XP East (1.2 miles), XP School (1.2 miles), The McAuley Catholic High School (1.2 miles) and Hospital Teaching Service (1.7 miles).
XP EastXP SchoolThe McAuley Catholic High SchoolHospital Teaching Service
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its March 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
4.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 81% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 77% to 84% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 77% to 84% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
30.9
Avg class size
29.8
Infant (KS1)
30.3
KS2
13
Total classes
3 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Bessacarr Primary
From Bessacarr Primary's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Bessacarr Primary
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Bessacarr Primary.
- Bessacarr Primary School @ Activ8 Camps LtdAt the school · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Bessacarr Primary from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Bessacarr Primary is in Doncaster; for families living there:
Apply to Doncaster for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 11
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 9 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
4 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Doncaster is 10 (the median across 143 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Bessacarr Primary
Will you get a place at Bessacarr Primary? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Bessacarr Primary's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Bessacarr Primary:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Bessacarr Primary.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Doncaster, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Bessacarr Primary for 2017 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Doncaster got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
101%
Over capacity
415 pupils
412 places
3 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Doncaster
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Doncaster
Across Doncaster council
Places available
4,235
Applications
3,089
Got 1st preference
96.5%
Got preferred school
98.8%
All primary applications across Doncaster council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
33
SEN Support
15
EHC Plans
10.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
462
Total Pupils
251
Boys
211
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
24
Teachers
19.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,620
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,955
Per pupil
£2201k
Total funding
£30k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.7%
Overall absence
7.4%
Persistent absence
366
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Questions parents ask about Bessacarr Primary
What are SATs results like at Bessacarr Primary?
Of the pupils at Bessacarr Primary who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 81% reached the expected standard in reading and 84% did so in maths.
What is Bessacarr Primary's Ofsted rating?
Bessacarr Primary was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2023.
What is the catchment area for Bessacarr Primary?
No fixed boundary. When Bessacarr Primary is oversubscribed, Doncaster allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Bessacarr Primary?
Bessacarr Primary was full in 2025, at 101% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Bessacarr Primary?
Classes at Bessacarr Primary average 30.9 pupils (2025/26). 3 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Bessacarr Primary?
Bessacarr Primary has around 462 pupils on roll. 4% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Bessacarr Primary?
3.7% of sessions were missed at Bessacarr Primary in 2024/25. 7.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Bessacarr Primary?
Apply through Doncaster's coordinated admissions process, naming Bessacarr Primary on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Bessacarr Primary have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Bessacarr Primary School @ Activ8 Camps Ltd (registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Bessacarr Primary?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 9 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 4 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Doncaster is 10 (the median across 143 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Bessacarr Primary?
Bessacarr Primary is at Ellers Avenue, Bessacarr, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN4 7DT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)