Cawthorne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Barnsley
Cawthorne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 5 to 11 in Barnsley. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2024. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 7th-highest of the 60 schools in Barnsley with published results, and 1,757th of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.2 first-choice applications for every place. It was full in 2025, at 112% of capacity.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than 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
Cawthorne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School in detail
Cawthorne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "Since 1872, our school has stood at the centre of the village, working in conjunction with the church to serve the local community and educate generations of families and children. As a school, we pride ourselves on delivering a holistic education that allows each child to develop into the best possible version of themselves."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 96% of Year 6 pupils at Cawthorne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 83% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 79% in Barnsley and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 83% in reading and 83% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Cawthorne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 29 families put Cawthorne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School as their first choice and 76 named it as one of their preferences, for 24 places offered. That is 1.2 first choices for every place. 7 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Cawthorne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School are Kexborough Primary School (1.6 miles, Good, 79% reading, 68% maths); Silkstone Primary School (1.6 miles, Good, 93% reading, 90% maths); Barugh Green Primary School (1.6 miles, 84% reading, 76% maths); and Hoylandswaine Primary School (2.1 miles, 90% reading, 90% maths).
Cawthorne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
Kexborough Primary SchoolSilkstone Primary SchoolBarugh Green Primary SchoolHoylandswaine Primary School
Who goes there
1.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 16 pupils (10%) received SEN support and 7 (4.4%) 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 Silkstone Common Rail Station, about 2.2 miles away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Taylor Hill/Tivy Dale Close (adjacent), 90 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 8 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and vehicle crime. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Barnsley (121).
Suspensions and exclusions
Cawthorne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
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 · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school excels at developing well-rounded children who are confident, articulate and ready for the next stage of their education. Reading is a particular strength, with children becoming fluent readers quickly through excellent phonics teaching. The school prioritises pupils' personal development and character building, creating a calm, orderly environment where all children feel valued and heard.
Key Strengths
- Exemplary behaviour and outstanding personal development across the school
- Strong teaching of reading with effective phonics programme and 'reading buddies' system
- Broad, ambitious curriculum that is coherently planned and sequenced
- High expectations for all pupils with supportive, nurturing, caring environment
- Effective leadership with strong vision and positive staff wellbeing
Areas for Improvement
- Inconsistencies in how some subjects are taught - tasks don't always match curriculum aims
- Need to ensure teachers give pupils activities precisely matched to key knowledge they need to learn
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with a strong culture of safeguarding throughout the school.
Extracurricular Activities
Chess club, cricket pathways, visits to different places of worship
Cawthorne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is a good school where all pupils and staff are proud to be part of the community. The school has high expectations of all pupils, who strive to achieve well with exemplary behaviour and outstanding personal development.
At a Glance
1.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 83% to 96% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 83% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 87% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
31.8
Avg class size
4
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 Cawthorne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
You apply to the council where you live. Cawthorne 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
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 1 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 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 Cawthorne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Will you get a place at Cawthorne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Cawthorne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Cawthorne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Cawthorne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School.
- Barnsley publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Cawthorne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Cawthorne 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
112%
Over capacity
162 pupils
145 places
17 pupils over capacity 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(5)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
16
SEN Support
7
EHC Plans
14.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
160
Total Pupils
75
Boys
85
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
7
Teachers
22.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£56,708
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,151
Per pupil
£901k
Total funding
£2k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.5%
Overall absence
2.2%
Persistent absence
139
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
Cawthorne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Questions parents ask about Cawthorne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
What are SATs results like at Cawthorne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Of the pupils at Cawthorne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 96% reached the expected standard in reading and 83% did so in maths.
What is Cawthorne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Cawthorne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2013 it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Cawthorne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Cawthorne 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 Cawthorne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Cawthorne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School was full in 2025, at 112% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Cawthorne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Classes at Cawthorne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School average 31.8 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 Cawthorne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Cawthorne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School has around 160 pupils on roll. 1% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Cawthorne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
3.5% of sessions were missed at Cawthorne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School in 2024/25. 2.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Cawthorne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Apply through Barnsley's coordinated admissions process, naming Cawthorne 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.
How many road collisions happen near Cawthorne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 1 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 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 Cawthorne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Cawthorne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is at Taylor Hill, Cawthorne, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S75 4HB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)