Outwood Academy Shafton, Barnsley

In 2026, pupils at Outwood Academy Shafton averaged an Attainment 8 score of 43.3, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 41.8 in Barnsley and 47 across England.

42% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 44% in Barnsley and 47% in England.

That is up from 42 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.44: pupils made below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 35.3, against 48.5 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 13.2 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 20 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Art and Design and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 281 families put Outwood Academy Shafton as their first choice and 364 named it as one of their preferences, for 261 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 23 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Outwood Academy Shafton are Outwood Academy Carlton (1.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 42); Holy Trinity Catholic and Church of England School (2.3 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 37.2); Outwood Academy Hemsworth (3 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 37.5); and Netherwood Academy (3.9 miles, Good, Attainment 8 41).

Outwood Academy Shafton's 2026 results were higher than all 4 of them.

Outwood Academy Shafton is one of 40 schools run by Outwood Grange Academies Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 43.4 in 2024/25.

114 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Outwood Academy Shafton (as of September 2025): 83% would recommend the school, 87% say their child is happy there and 58% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (92%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (58%).

Of the 259 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 82% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 78% to a further education college, 2% to an apprenticeship and 3% into work.

38.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 4.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 101 pupils (7.3%) received SEN support and 63 (4.6%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.

The nearest railway station is Barnsley Rail Station, about 3.8 miles away in a straight line.

7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Engine Lane/Collier Road (at), 110 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 77 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Barnsley (121).

In 2024/25, Outwood Academy Shafton issued 562 suspensions, 40.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 5 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Outwood Academy Shafton are Lift Shafton (0.3 miles), Cherry Dale Primary School (0.5 miles), Churchfield Primary School (0.8 miles) and Milefield Primary School (0.9 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.