Carlton Primary Academy, Barnsley
Carlton Primary Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Barnsley, part of Pioneer Academies Community Trust (pact). It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 18th-highest of the 60 schools in Barnsley with published results, and 4,824th of 14,452 across England. It was 92% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
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
Carlton Primary Academy in detail
Carlton Primary Academy in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "I am very proud to be able to share with you the wonderful opportunities and developments here at Carlton Primary Academy! Put simply, our academy believes that 'Together we can achieve anything' ."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 90% of Year 6 pupils at Carlton Primary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 74% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 79% in Barnsley and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 79% in reading and 67% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Carlton Primary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 27 families put Carlton Primary Academy as their first choice and 54 named it as one of their preferences, for 28 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Carlton Primary Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Carlton Primary Academy are Lift St Helen's (0.9 miles, Good, 72% reading, 76% maths); Royston St John Baptist CE Primary (0.9 miles, Good, 70% reading, 60% maths); Parkside Primary Academy (1 mile, Good, 83% reading, 83% maths); and Lift Meadstead (1.1 miles, Requires improvement, 75% reading, 71% maths).
Carlton Primary Academy's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
Lift St Helen'sRoyston St John Baptist CE PrimaryParkside Primary AcademyLift Meadstead
The trust
Carlton Primary Academy is one of 4 schools run by Pioneer Academies Community Trust (pact), an academy trust.
Who goes there
2.5% 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 2.4 miles away in a straight line.
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Fish Dam Lane/Shaw Lane (near), 110 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
Carlton Primary Academy recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Carlton Primary Academy are Outwood Academy Carlton (0.3 miles), Holy Trinity Catholic and Church of England School (0.6 miles) and Outwood Academy Shafton (1.8 miles).
Outwood Academy CarltonHoly Trinity Catholic and Church of England SchoolOutwood Academy Shafton
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); 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 · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its June 2023 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Early years.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
18.6%
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 improved from 79% to 90% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 67% to 74% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 71% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
25.7
Avg class size
20.0
Infant (KS1)
11
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Carlton Primary Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Carlton Primary Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Carlton Primary Academy 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
- 11
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 3
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.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
3 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 Carlton Primary Academy
Will you get a place at Carlton Primary Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Carlton Primary Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Carlton Primary Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Carlton Primary Academy.
- Barnsley publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Carlton Primary Academy that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Carlton Primary Academy 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
92%
Near capacity
290 pupils
315 places
25 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: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
52
SEN Support
13
EHC Plans
20.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
317
Total Pupils
176
Boys
141
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
14
Teachers
22.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£44,108
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,257
Per pupil
£1659k
Total funding
£88k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.2%
Overall absence
14.0%
Persistent absence
257
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
Carlton Primary Academy
Questions parents ask about Carlton Primary Academy
What are SATs results like at Carlton Primary Academy?
Of the pupils at Carlton Primary Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 90% reached the expected standard in reading and 74% did so in maths.
What is Carlton Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?
Carlton Primary Academy was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2019 it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Carlton Primary Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Carlton Primary Academy is oversubscribed, Barnsley allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Carlton Primary Academy?
Carlton Primary Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 92% of its 315 places.
How big are the classes at Carlton Primary Academy?
Classes at Carlton Primary Academy average 25.7 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Carlton Primary Academy?
Carlton Primary Academy has around 317 pupils on roll. 19% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Carlton Primary Academy?
5.2% of sessions were missed at Carlton Primary Academy in 2024/25. 14% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Carlton Primary Academy?
Apply through Barnsley's coordinated admissions process, naming Carlton Primary Academy 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.
How many road collisions happen near Carlton Primary Academy?
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. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 3 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 Carlton Primary Academy?
Carlton Primary Academy is at Fish Dam Lane, Carlton, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S71 3HF.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)