Royston St John Baptist CE Primary, Barnsley
Royston St John Baptist CE Primary is a primary school for pupils aged 5 to 11 in Barnsley, part of Enhance Academy Trust. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2022. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 56th-highest of the 60 schools in Barnsley with published results, and 11,866th of 14,452 across England. It was 71% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2022)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- 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
Royston St John Baptist CE Primary in detail
Royston St John Baptist CE Primary in its own words
In its own words: "Our theological vision is rooted in the parable of The Good Samaritan in which we should “go and do likewise” Luke 10:37.. Through our curriculum offer, we strive to foster confidence and delight in our pupils, allowing them to seek wisdom and knowledge which will provide them with the skills to shape their lives well."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 70% of Year 6 pupils at Royston St John Baptist CE Primary reached the expected standard in reading and 60% 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 (64% in reading, 64% in maths).
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Royston St John Baptist CE Primary
For September 2026 entry, 26 families put Royston St John Baptist CE Primary as their first choice and 44 named it as one of their preferences, for 28 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 Royston St John Baptist CE Primary
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Royston St John Baptist CE Primary are Parkside Primary Academy (0.1 miles, Good, 83% reading, 83% maths); Lift Meadstead (0.4 miles, Requires improvement, 75% reading, 71% maths); Summerfields Primary Academy (0.7 miles, Good, 91% reading, 100% maths); and Carlton Primary Academy (0.9 miles, Good, 90% reading, 74% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Royston St John Baptist CE Primary.
Parkside Primary AcademyLift MeadsteadSummerfields Primary AcademyCarlton Primary Academy
The trust
Royston St John Baptist CE Primary is one of 17 schools run by Enhance Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 67% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
4.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 34 pupils (21%) received SEN support and 2 (1.2%) 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.
18 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Church Street/Chantry Grove (adjacent), 170 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Royston St John Baptist CE Primary issued 1 suspension, 0.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Royston St John Baptist CE Primary are Outwood Academy Carlton (0.7 miles) and Holy Trinity Catholic and Church of England School (1.4 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 multi-academy trust performance data; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its October 2022 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Early years.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
27.8%
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 64% to 70% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 64% to 60% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 71% to 65% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
23.1
Avg class size
17.3
Infant (KS1)
27.5
KS2
7
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Royston St John Baptist CE Primary
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Royston St John Baptist CE Primary.
- Cool Kidz R Us LtdAt the school · Not yet graded
- Cool Kidz Meadstead740m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Royston St John Baptist CE Primary from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Royston St John Baptist CE Primary 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
- 17
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 6
- Children hurt
- 7
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 17 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 11 slight.
7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 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 Royston St John Baptist CE Primary
Will you get a place at Royston St John Baptist CE Primary? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Royston St John Baptist CE Primary's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Royston St John Baptist CE Primary:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Royston St John Baptist CE Primary.
- Barnsley publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Royston St John Baptist CE Primary that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Royston St John Baptist CE Primary for 2017 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
71%
Available places
171 pupils
240 places
69 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(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
34
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
22.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
162
Total Pupils
83
Boys
79
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
8
Teachers
20.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,713
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,750
Per pupil
£1115k
Total funding
£70k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.2%
Overall absence
6.3%
Persistent absence
160
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
Royston St John Baptist CE Primary
Questions parents ask about Royston St John Baptist CE Primary
What are SATs results like at Royston St John Baptist CE Primary?
Of the pupils at Royston St John Baptist CE Primary who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 70% reached the expected standard in reading and 60% did so in maths.
What is Royston St John Baptist CE Primary's Ofsted rating?
Royston St John Baptist CE Primary was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in October 2022. At its previous graded inspection in 2019 it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Royston St John Baptist CE Primary?
No fixed boundary. When Royston St John Baptist CE Primary is oversubscribed, Barnsley allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Royston St John Baptist CE Primary?
Royston St John Baptist CE Primary was not full in 2025: it ran at 71% of its 240 places.
How big are the classes at Royston St John Baptist CE Primary?
Classes at Royston St John Baptist CE Primary average 23.1 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Royston St John Baptist CE Primary?
Royston St John Baptist CE Primary has around 162 pupils on roll. 28% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Royston St John Baptist CE Primary?
4.2% of sessions were missed at Royston St John Baptist CE Primary in 2024/25. 6.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Royston St John Baptist CE Primary?
Apply through Barnsley's coordinated admissions process, naming Royston St John Baptist CE Primary 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 Royston St John Baptist CE Primary have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Cool Kidz R Us Ltd (registered, not yet graded). There is another within a kilometre. The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Royston St John Baptist CE Primary?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 17 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 11 slight. 7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 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 Royston St John Baptist CE Primary?
Royston St John Baptist CE Primary is at Vicarage Lane, Royston, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S71 4QY.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)