Joseph Locke Primary School, Barnsley
Joseph Locke Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Barnsley. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 24th-highest of the 60 schools in Barnsley with published results, and 6,110th of 14,452 across England. It was 95% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
- 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
Joseph Locke Primary School in detail
Joseph Locke Primary School in its own words
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football and basketball.
The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care, from £2.50 per session.
Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 79% of Year 6 pupils at Joseph Locke Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 80% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 79% in Barnsley and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 61% in reading and 63% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Joseph Locke Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 39 families put Joseph Locke Primary School as their first choice and 76 named it as one of their preferences, for 42 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 Joseph Locke Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Joseph Locke Primary School are Shawlands Primary School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 77% reading, 73% maths); Holy Rood Catholic Primary School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 67% reading, 77% maths); St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Barnsley (0.4 miles, Good, 69% reading, 69% maths); and Summer Lane Primary (0.6 miles).
Joseph Locke Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 3 of them.
Shawlands Primary SchoolHoly Rood Catholic Primary SchoolSt Mary's Church of England Primary School, BarnsleySummer Lane Primary
Who goes there
50.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (44%), Asian (9%) and Mixed (6%).
In 2026, 86 pupils (19.2%) received SEN support and 11 (2.4%) 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 Barnsley Rail Station, about 1160 metres away (roughly a 15-minute walk).
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Shaw Lane/Lancaster Street (at), 170 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 588 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Barnsley (121), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Joseph Locke Primary School issued 16 suspensions, 3.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Joseph Locke Primary School are Trinity Academy St. Edwards (0.3 miles), Horizon Community College (0.5 miles) and Barnsley Academy (1.9 miles).
Trinity Academy St. EdwardsHorizon Community CollegeBarnsley Academy
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
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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from March 2015, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Joseph Locke is a nurturing, inclusive school where children thrive through positive relationships with caring adults. The school excels in teaching reading fundamentals and mathematics, while offering a rich and interesting curriculum across all subjects. Pupils benefit from a wide range of enrichment activities and leadership opportunities that help them develop as well-rounded individuals.
Key Strengths
- Strong phonics teaching with consistent, well-trained staff who help pupils decode and read confidently
- Excellent mathematics instruction where pupils understand number facts and can apply them to problem-solving
- High-quality art and design curriculum where pupils study famous artists and produce impressive artwork
- Well-designed, ambitious curriculum with many opportunities for pupils to build on prior learning
- Excellent support for pupils with SEND who achieve well alongside their classmates
Areas for Improvement
- Teaching of reading beyond phonics is not rigorous enough, particularly for the most able pupils
- Need to develop a comprehensive approach to reading fluency and comprehension to improve pupil progress
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with strong culture and systems in place.
Extracurricular Activities
football, sewing, games club, cookery, residential visits, pupil first aid training
Joseph Locke Primary School continues to be a good school where pupils are proud to attend and benefit from positive relationships with adults. The school is nurturing and inclusive, with pupils achieving well across the curriculum.
At a Glance
32.1%
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 61% to 79% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 63% to 80% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 81% to 86% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.4
Avg class size
29.7
Infant (KS1)
28.5
KS2
16
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Joseph Locke Primary School
Before and after school care
Joseph Locke 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
Check free transport to Joseph Locke Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Joseph Locke 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
- 18
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 13 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
5 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 Joseph Locke Primary School
Will you get a place at Joseph Locke Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Joseph Locke Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Joseph Locke Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Joseph Locke Primary School.
- Barnsley publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Joseph Locke Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Joseph Locke 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
95%
Near capacity
400 pupils
420 places
20 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(10)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
86
SEN Support
11
EHC Plans
21.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
449
Total Pupils
214
Boys
235
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
24
Teachers
18.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£45,511
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,427
Per pupil
£2917k
Total funding
£186k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.9%
Overall absence
10.8%
Persistent absence
361
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
Joseph Locke Primary School
Questions parents ask about Joseph Locke Primary School
What are SATs results like at Joseph Locke Primary School?
Of the pupils at Joseph Locke Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 79% reached the expected standard in reading and 80% did so in maths.
What is Joseph Locke Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Joseph Locke Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2015, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Joseph Locke Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Joseph Locke 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 Joseph Locke Primary School?
Joseph Locke Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 95% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Joseph Locke Primary School?
Classes at Joseph Locke Primary School average 27.4 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Joseph Locke Primary School?
Joseph Locke Primary School has around 449 pupils on roll. 32% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Joseph Locke Primary School?
4.9% of sessions were missed at Joseph Locke Primary School in 2024/25. 10.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Joseph Locke Primary School?
Apply through Barnsley's coordinated admissions process, naming Joseph Locke 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 Joseph Locke Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Joseph Locke 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 Joseph Locke Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 13 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 5 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 Joseph Locke Primary School?
Joseph Locke Primary School is at Shaw Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S70 6JL.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)