Gawber Primary School, Barnsley
Gawber Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 5 to 11 in Barnsley. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2024. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 14th-highest of the 60 schools in Barnsley with published results, and 4,333rd of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 2 first-choice applications for every place. It was full in 2025, at 101% of capacity.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2024)
- Demand
- 2 first choices per place
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Barnsley (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Gawber Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 83% of Year 6 pupils at Gawber 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 77% 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 Gawber Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 60 families put Gawber Primary School as their first choice and 121 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is 2 first choices for every place. 31 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Gawber Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Gawber Primary School are Summer Lane Primary (0.7 miles); St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Barnsley (0.8 miles, Good, 69% reading, 69% maths); Barugh Green Primary School (1 mile, 84% reading, 76% maths); and Wilthorpe Primary School (1 mile, 75% reading, 75% maths).
Gawber Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 3 of them.
Summer Lane PrimarySt Mary's Church of England Primary School, BarnsleyBarugh Green Primary SchoolWilthorpe Primary School
Who goes there
6.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 28 pupils (13.3%) received SEN support and 4 (1.9%) 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 Dodworth Rail Station, about 1.2 miles away in a straight line.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Gawber Primary School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 7th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
Gawber Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Gawber Primary School are Horizon Community College (0.7 miles) and Trinity Academy St. Edwards (1.1 miles).
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
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 agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's May 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Gawber Primary School is a caring family school where kindness underpins everything the staff and pupils do. Teachers have deep expertise in their subjects and adapt lessons to help every child, including those with additional needs, learn exceptionally well. The school also excels at developing children's personal skills like ambition, independence and leadership through a vibrant programme of activities.
Key Strengths
- Exceptional behaviour and conduct - pupils are exemplary and respect one another
- Outstanding early reading provision - staff are experts who deliver phonics with enthusiasm, helping pupils read fluently
- Ambitious, well-designed curriculum where all pupils including those with SEND participate fully and achieve exceptionally well
- Strong personal development programme woven through the curriculum and enrichment activities
- Expert staff with deep subject knowledge who quickly identify and address pupil misconceptions
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with leaders maintaining an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Musical theatre, baking, chess, enterprise club
Gawber Primary School is an inspirational and thriving school where pupils feel safe and staff are aspirational for their achievement. The school has maintained its outstanding status across all areas including quality of education, behaviour, personal development, and leadership.
At a Glance
6.2%
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 77% to 83% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 83% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 87% to 80% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
30.5
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
30.7
KS2
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 Gawber Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Gawber Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Gawber 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
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 1 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was 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 Gawber Primary School
Will you get a place at Gawber Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Gawber Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Gawber Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Gawber Primary School.
- Barnsley publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Gawber Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Gawber 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
101%
Over capacity
212 pupils
210 places
2 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: 2 first choices per place
Inspection History(5)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
28
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
15.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
211
Total Pupils
97
Boys
114
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
12
Teachers
17.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,882
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,052
Per pupil
£1163k
Total funding
£21k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.4%
Overall absence
1.6%
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
Gawber Primary School
Questions parents ask about Gawber Primary School
What are SATs results like at Gawber Primary School?
Of the pupils at Gawber Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 83% reached the expected standard in reading and 83% did so in maths.
What is Gawber Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Gawber Primary School was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in May 2024.
What is the catchment area for Gawber Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Gawber 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 Gawber Primary School?
Gawber Primary School was full in 2025, at 101% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Gawber Primary School?
Classes at Gawber Primary School average 30.5 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 Gawber Primary School?
Gawber Primary School has around 211 pupils on roll. 6% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Gawber Primary School?
3.4% of sessions were missed at Gawber Primary School in 2024/25. 1.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Gawber Primary School?
Apply through Barnsley's coordinated admissions process, naming Gawber 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 Gawber Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 1 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was 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 Gawber Primary School?
Gawber Primary School is at Church Street, Gawber, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S75 2RJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)