Parkside Primary Academy, Barnsley
Parkside 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 December 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2024 did not change this grade. 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. It was 99% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
- 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
Parkside Primary Academy in detail
Parkside Primary Academy in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "I am incredibly proud to be the Head at Parkside where our children are at the heart of everything we do. I firmly believe that every child has the right to a high-quality education and the opportunity to reach their full potential."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include badminton, dance and choir.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 83% of Year 6 pupils at Parkside Primary Academy 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 were similar in 2024 (80% in reading, 90% in maths).
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Parkside Primary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 28 families put Parkside Primary Academy as their first choice and 73 named it as one of their preferences, for 28 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Parkside Primary Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Parkside Primary Academy are Royston St John Baptist CE Primary (0.1 miles, Good, 70% reading, 60% maths); Lift Meadstead (0.3 miles, Requires improvement, 75% reading, 71% maths); Summerfields Primary Academy (0.6 miles, Good, 91% reading, 100% maths); and Carlton Primary Academy (1 mile, Good, 90% reading, 74% maths).
Parkside Primary Academy's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
Royston St John Baptist CE PrimaryLift MeadsteadSummerfields Primary AcademyCarlton Primary Academy
The trust
Parkside Primary Academy is one of 4 schools run by Pioneer Academies Community Trust (pact), an academy trust.
Who goes there
4.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 45 pupils (20%) received SEN support and 19 (8.4%) 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 3.2 miles away in a straight line.
14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Midland Road/Jack Close Orchard (adjacent), 90 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Parkside Primary Academy issued 4 suspensions, 1.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Parkside Primary Academy are Outwood Academy Carlton (0.7 miles) and Holy Trinity Catholic and Church of England School (1.5 miles).
Outwood Academy CarltonHoly Trinity Catholic and Church of England School
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 agoThis judgement is from December 2014, 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
Ofsted rated this school Good at its December 2014 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
26.2%
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 remained stable at around 83% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 90% to 83% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 77% to 72% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
23.6
Avg class size
23.7
Infant (KS1)
27.0
KS2
9
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Parkside Primary Academy
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Parkside Primary Academy.
- Cool Kidz R Us Ltd250m away · Not yet graded
- Cool Kidz Meadstead620m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Parkside Primary Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Parkside 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
- 21
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 8
- Children hurt
- 8
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 21 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 8 serious and 13 slight.
8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise.
4 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 Parkside Primary Academy
Will you get a place at Parkside Primary Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Parkside Primary Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Parkside Primary Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Parkside Primary Academy.
- Barnsley publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Parkside Primary Academy that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Parkside 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
99%
Near capacity
208 pupils
210 places
2 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
45
SEN Support
19
EHC Plans
28.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
225
Total Pupils
119
Boys
106
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
20.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£47,555
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,605
Per pupil
£1336k
Total funding
£82k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.5%
Overall absence
9.0%
Persistent absence
188
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
Parkside Primary Academy
Questions parents ask about Parkside Primary Academy
What are SATs results like at Parkside Primary Academy?
Of the pupils at Parkside Primary Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 83% reached the expected standard in reading and 83% did so in maths.
What is Parkside Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?
Parkside Primary Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Parkside Primary Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Parkside 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 Parkside Primary Academy?
Parkside Primary Academy was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Parkside Primary Academy?
Classes at Parkside Primary Academy average 23.6 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Parkside Primary Academy?
Parkside Primary Academy has around 225 pupils on roll. 26% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Parkside Primary Academy?
4.5% of sessions were missed at Parkside Primary Academy in 2024/25. 9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Parkside Primary Academy?
Apply through Barnsley's coordinated admissions process, naming Parkside 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.
Does Parkside Primary Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Parkside Primary Academy: Cool Kidz R Us Ltd (250m away, registered, not yet graded) and Cool Kidz Meadstead (620m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Parkside Primary Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 21 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 8 serious and 13 slight. 8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise. 4 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 Parkside Primary Academy?
Parkside Primary Academy is at Midland Road, Royston, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S71 4QP.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)