Birkwood Primary School, Barnsley
Birkwood Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Barnsley. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in December 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 38th-highest of the 60 schools in Barnsley with published results, and 8,749th of 14,452 across England. It was 86% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2014)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 75 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Barnsley (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 1 Nov 2026
Birkwood Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 75% of Year 6 pupils at Birkwood Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 73% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 79% in Barnsley and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 79% in reading and 85% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Birkwood Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 61 families put Birkwood Primary School as their first choice and 112 named it as one of their preferences, for 59 places offered. That is slightly more first choices than places. 2 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Birkwood Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Birkwood Primary School are Churchfield Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 83% reading, 83% maths); Milefield Primary School (1 mile, Good, 74% reading, 69% maths); Cherry Dale Primary School (1 mile, Outstanding, 66% reading, 76% maths); and Ladywood Primary School (1.5 miles, 69% reading, 69% maths).
Birkwood Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
Churchfield Primary SchoolMilefield Primary SchoolCherry Dale Primary SchoolLadywood Primary School
What parents say
78 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Birkwood Primary School (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 77% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (77%).
Who goes there
6.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Barnsley Rail Station, about 3 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Darfield Road/West View (adjacent), 90 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 75 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Barnsley (121).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Birkwood Primary School issued 2 suspensions, 0.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; 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
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from October 2014, 12 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's December 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Birkwood Primary creates a happy, safe environment where children feel listened to and supported. The school is particularly strong at teaching reading and supporting children who find learning challenging, including those with additional needs. Parents value the high-quality pastoral care and the way the school helps children become confident, respectful citizens.
Key Strengths
- Strong emphasis on reading with effective support to help all pupils read accurately and build reading stamina
- Broad and ambitious curriculum with clear identification of knowledge pupils should learn
- Excellent support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, with staff training and curriculum adaptation
- Consistent behaviour management with warm and respectful adult interactions
- Strong personal development offer teaching pupils about equality, healthy relationships, and respecting differences
Areas for Improvement
- Early years curriculum does not clearly identify important knowledge children should learn in some areas, making it difficult for teachers to emphasise key learning in activities
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with the school creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Sports, cooking, trips and visits, leadership roles such as well-being ambassadors, breakfast club
Birkwood Primary School is a welcoming, ambitious school where pupils strive to live by the values of effort, kindness and respect. The school prioritises reading, offers a broad curriculum, and provides strong support for vulnerable pupils and those with special educational needs.
At a Glance
31.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
78 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 79% to 75% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 85% to 73% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 85% to 70% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.9
Avg class size
28.8
Infant (KS1)
29.4
KS2
15
Total classes
4 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Birkwood Primary School
Nurseries
Groots Childcare Hub 1 (Birkwood Primary School) is at Birkwood Primary School. Ofsted report card, 20 August 2026: Expected standard in 4 areas; safeguarding standards met.
The nearest nurseries and pre-schools to Birkwood Primary School, with their latest published grades:
- Wonderland Nursery - Day nursery, 0.7 milesOfsted, 16 July 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Marys Little Lambs Cudworth - Pre-school, 0.7 milesOfsted, 24 November 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Sidcop Road Community Nursery - Day nursery, 0.9 milesOfsted, 21 October 2022: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
- Marys Little Lambs Childcare - Pre-school, 1.2 milesOfsted, 7 July 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Playdays Nursery - Day nursery, 1.4 milesOfsted report card, 14 May 2026: Strong standard in 1 area, Expected standard in 5 areas; safeguarding standards met
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Birkwood Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Birkwood Primary School is in Barnsley; for families living there:
Apply to Barnsley for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 8
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 5 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 on a bicycle.
2 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 Barnsley is 11 (the median across 96 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight are DfT estimates (severity adjustment). Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Birkwood Primary School
Will you get a place at Birkwood Primary School?
For 2026 entry it had 61 first choices for 59 places. The report sets your home postcode against these figures.
£9.99 once (inc. VAT; £19.99 for up to three schools), or Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time. What's in the report
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
86%
Available places
363 pupils
420 places
57 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Across Barnsley council
Places available
2,979
Applications
2,423
Got 1st preference
95.7%
Got preferred school
99.2%
All primary applications across Barnsley council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Future places in the local planning area
DfE estimates the Primary Planning Area 03 planning area (Barnsley) will have 176 spare primary places in 2027/28.
Source: Department for Education, School capacity: Academic year 2024/25 (published 19 March 2026), estimates of future school place demand by planning area. Council pupil forecasts against reported places, counting places councils and DfE plan to add or remove; rounded to whole places. Explore Education Statistics
Inspection History(5)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
51
SEN Support
19
EHC Plans
16.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
432
Total Pupils
211
Boys
221
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
16
Teachers
27.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£46,102
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,589
Per pupil
£2296k
Total funding
£162k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.0%
Overall absence
11.2%
Persistent absence
321
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
Birkwood Primary School
Questions parents ask about Birkwood Primary School
What are SATs results like at Birkwood Primary School?
Of the pupils at Birkwood Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 75% reached the expected standard in reading and 73% did so in maths.
What is Birkwood Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Birkwood Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2024, was ungraded. At its last graded inspection, in October 2014, it was rated Outstanding.
Is it hard to get a place at Birkwood Primary School?
Birkwood Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 86% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at Birkwood Primary School?
Classes at Birkwood Primary School average 27.9 pupils (2025/26). 4 classes have more than 30 pupils.
How many pupils go to Birkwood Primary School?
Birkwood Primary School has around 432 pupils on roll. 32% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Birkwood Primary School?
5% of sessions were missed at Birkwood Primary School in 2024/25. 11.2% of pupils were persistently absent.
How many road collisions happen near Birkwood Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 5 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 on a bicycle. 2 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 Barnsley is 11 (the median across 96 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Birkwood Primary School?
Birkwood Primary School is at Darfield Road, Cudworth, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S72 8HG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)