Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Barnsley
Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Barnsley. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2024. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 8th-highest of the 60 schools in Barnsley with published results, and 1,876th of 14,452 across England. It was 97% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Barnsley (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School in detail
Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Our door is always open, so please do come and visit us - we would love to show you around. We are incredibly proud of the children in our school and the wider community we serve."
The school runs after-school care until 4:15pm.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 89% of Year 6 pupils at Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 89% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 79% in Barnsley and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 87% in reading and 74% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 31 families put Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School as their first choice and 49 named it as one of their preferences, for 29 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 3 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School are Lift Shafton (1.1 miles, Good, 72% reading, 66% maths); St Helen's CE Primary School (1.2 miles, Good, 84% reading, 74% maths); Milefield Primary School (1.3 miles, Good, 74% reading, 69% maths); and Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School (1.5 miles, Good, 52% reading, 35% maths).
Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
Lift ShaftonSt Helen's CE Primary SchoolMilefield Primary SchoolSacred Heart Catholic Primary School
Who goes there
3.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 41 pupils (20%) received SEN support and 4 (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 Fitzwilliam Rail Station, about 2.6 miles away in a straight line.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Church Street/Church Drive (adjacent), 220 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 34 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and bicycle theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Barnsley (121).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School issued 1 suspension, 0.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school creates a warm, welcoming environment where children flourish academically and socially. Teachers are skilled at making lessons engaging and challenging, so pupils love coming to school and achieve well in reading, writing and maths. The school has a strong focus on reading, with daily phonics teaching and quick support for any pupils who need extra help.
Key Strengths
- Strong teaching of reading with well-trained staff delivering daily phonics and effective support for pupils who fall behind
- High pupil achievement in core subjects of reading, writing and mathematics, with pupils well-prepared for secondary school
- Excellent behaviour and positive relationships, with pupils being polite, considerate and respectful to one another
- Good support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, with early identification and individualised approaches
- Children in Reception develop strong independence and social skills through well-planned learning activities
Areas for Improvement
- Pupils have limited knowledge of different world religions and can confuse important elements of different faiths, not fully preparing them for life in modern Britain
- Some refinements needed to the foundation subjects curriculum to ensure pupils are remembering and understanding what they learn
- School communication with parents is not clear enough, with some parents not feeling well-informed about school life
- Continued work needed to improve attendance and punctuality for all groups of pupils
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Book club reading lessons, subject ambassadors, leadership roles for older pupils
Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is a good primary school with high expectations where pupils are polite, well-mannered, and engaged in interesting and challenging learning. The school has developed an ambitious curriculum and creates a warm, welcoming ethos where pupils of all ages get on well together.
At a Glance
20.5%
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 89% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 74% to 89% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 74% to 86% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.2
Avg class size
29.5
Infant (KS1)
29.0
KS2
6
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Before and after school care
Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Barnsley
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
You apply to the council where you live. Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled 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
- 6
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 3 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
1 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 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 Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Will you get a place at Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School.
- Barnsley publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Barnsley 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
97%
Near capacity
204 pupils
210 places
6 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Barnsley
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Barnsley
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
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
41
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
22.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
205
Total Pupils
95
Boys
110
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
20.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£56,852
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,387
Per pupil
£1258k
Total funding
£68k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.7%
Overall absence
18.7%
Persistent absence
182
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
Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Questions parents ask about Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
What are SATs results like at Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Of the pupils at Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 89% reached the expected standard in reading and 89% did so in maths.
What is Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2013 it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is oversubscribed, Barnsley allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 97% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Classes at Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School average 29.2 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School has around 205 pupils on roll. 21% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
6.7% of sessions were missed at Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School in 2024/25. 18.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Apply through Barnsley's coordinated admissions process, naming Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School 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 Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school.
How many road collisions happen near Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 3 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 1 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 Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is at Beech Close, Brierley, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S72 9EJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)