Sandhill Primary School, Barnsley
Sandhill Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Barnsley, part of Every Child Matters Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2024. 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 79% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below 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
Sandhill Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 76% of Year 6 pupils at Sandhill 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 fell from 80% in reading and 90% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Sandhill Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 28 families put Sandhill Primary School as their first choice and 35 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 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 Sandhill Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Sandhill Primary School are Gooseacre Primary Academy (1.2 miles, Good, 71% reading, 74% maths); All Saints Academy Darfield (1.5 miles, Requires improvement, 71% reading, 71% maths); Ladywood Primary School (1.7 miles, 69% reading, 69% maths); and Highgate Primary Academy (1.8 miles, Good, 82% reading, 80% maths).
Sandhill Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
Gooseacre Primary AcademyAll Saints Academy DarfieldLadywood Primary SchoolHighgate Primary Academy
The trust
Sandhill Primary School is one of 11 schools run by Every Child Matters Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 63% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
41.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 5.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 45 pupils (18.4%) received SEN support and 16 (6.6%) 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 a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Thurnscoe Rail Station, about 1.7 miles away in a straight line.
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Rotherham Road/Thurnscoe Lane (adjacent), 90 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 43 crimes within a mile of the school, most often vehicle crime, anti-social behaviour and burglary. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Barnsley (121).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Sandhill Primary School issued 4 suspensions, 1.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
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); 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 · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its March 2024 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
41.4%
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 declined from 80% to 76% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 90% to 83% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 67% to 72% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
25.8
Avg class size
21.3
Infant (KS1)
30.5
KS2
9
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Sandhill Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Sandhill Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Sandhill 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
- 5
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 5 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
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 Sandhill Primary School
Will you get a place at Sandhill Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Sandhill Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Sandhill Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Sandhill Primary School.
- Barnsley publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Sandhill Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Sandhill Primary School for 2016 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
79%
Available places
220 pupils
280 places
60 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(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
45
SEN Support
16
EHC Plans
25.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
244
Total Pupils
107
Boys
137
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
22.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,640
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,669
Per pupil
£1643k
Total funding
£129k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.0%
Overall absence
17.5%
Persistent absence
189
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Sandhill Primary School
What are SATs results like at Sandhill Primary School?
Of the pupils at Sandhill Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 76% reached the expected standard in reading and 83% did so in maths.
What is Sandhill Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Sandhill Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2021 it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Sandhill Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Sandhill 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 Sandhill Primary School?
Sandhill Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 79% of its 280 places.
How big are the classes at Sandhill Primary School?
Classes at Sandhill Primary School average 25.8 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Sandhill Primary School?
Sandhill Primary School has around 244 pupils on roll. 41% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Sandhill Primary School?
7% of sessions were missed at Sandhill Primary School in 2024/25. 17.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Sandhill Primary School?
Apply through Barnsley's coordinated admissions process, naming Sandhill 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 Sandhill Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 5 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 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 Sandhill Primary School?
Sandhill Primary School is at Dearne Street, Great Houghton, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S72 0EQ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)