St Helen's Catholic Primary School, Barnsley
St Helen's Catholic Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Barnsley. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2018. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 32nd-highest of the 60 schools in Barnsley with published results, and 7,071st of 14,452 across England. It was 83% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2018)
- 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
St Helen's Catholic Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 73% of Year 6 pupils at St Helen's Catholic Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 82% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 79% in Barnsley and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 74% in reading and 74% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St Helen's Catholic Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 13 families put St Helen's Catholic Primary School as their first choice and 22 named it as one of their preferences, for 13 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 St Helen's Catholic Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Helen's Catholic Primary School are Hoyland Springwood Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 67% reading, 48% maths); West Meadows Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 69% reading, 72% maths); Greenfield Primary School (0.5 miles); and Jump Primary Academy (0.7 miles).
St Helen's Catholic Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 2 of them.
Hoyland Springwood Primary SchoolWest Meadows Primary SchoolGreenfield Primary SchoolJump Primary Academy
Who goes there
40.5% 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, 35 pupils (27.8%) received SEN support and 1 (0.8%) 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 autism.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Elsecar Rail Station, about 1160 metres away (roughly a 15-minute walk).
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is West Street/Broad Street (adjacent), 110 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Helen's Catholic Primary School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Helen's Catholic Primary School issued 5 suspensions, 4.2 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 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from January 2018, 8 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 May 2023 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St Helen's is a warm, family-like school where Christian values guide everything the school does. Teachers bring subjects to life and the school has made reading a real strength, with swift support for pupils who need extra help. The school enriches learning through trips, visiting speakers, and extra activities.
Key Strengths
- Strong Christian values and positive school culture with excellent behaviour and virtually no bullying
- Ambitious, well-planned curriculum that builds knowledge carefully, particularly strong in early reading
- Teachers have strong subject knowledge and check pupils' learning regularly
- Safeguarding is effective with staff well-trained and swift action taken on concerns
- Extra-curricular activities including school trips and visiting speakers enhance pupils' learning
Areas for Improvement
- Some pupils with SEND are not consistently supported because staff lack training in using individualised support plans effectively
- Pupils struggle to remember what they have learned about different world religions due to limited sustained teaching
- A few subjects have less well-developed curricula compared to others
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective - all staff receive appropriate training and regular briefings, promptly reporting concerns and making swift referrals to safeguarding partners.
Extracurricular Activities
School trips (including residential Year 6 trip), visiting speakers (Moose the rescue dog), extra-curricular clubs and activities
St Helen's Catholic Primary School continues to be a good school that is friendly, welcoming, and at the heart of the community. Christian values are embedded throughout the school, with pupils supported by kind adults who help them grow and flourish.
At a Glance
40.5%
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 73% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 74% to 82% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 78% to 0% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
21.0
Avg class size
6
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 St Helen's Catholic Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Helen's Catholic Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Helen's Catholic 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
- 15
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 6
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 9 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot.
2 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 St Helen's Catholic Primary School
Will you get a place at St Helen's Catholic Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Helen's Catholic Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Helen's Catholic Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Helen's Catholic Primary School.
- Barnsley publishes last distance offered figures, but none for St Helen's Catholic Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Helen's Catholic 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.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
83%
Available places
116 pupils
140 places
24 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(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
35
SEN Support
1
EHC Plans
28.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
126
Total Pupils
69
Boys
57
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
7
Teachers
18.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£47,808
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,419
Per pupil
£861k
Total funding
£71k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.2%
Overall absence
24.8%
Persistent absence
109
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
St Helen's Catholic Primary School
Questions parents ask about St Helen's Catholic Primary School
What are SATs results like at St Helen's Catholic Primary School?
Of the pupils at St Helen's Catholic Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 73% reached the expected standard in reading and 82% did so in maths.
What is St Helen's Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St Helen's Catholic Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2018, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Helen's Catholic Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St Helen's Catholic 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 St Helen's Catholic Primary School?
St Helen's Catholic Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 83% of its 140 places.
How big are the classes at St Helen's Catholic Primary School?
Classes at St Helen's Catholic Primary School average 21 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 St Helen's Catholic Primary School?
St Helen's Catholic Primary School has around 126 pupils on roll. 41% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Helen's Catholic Primary School?
7.2% of sessions were missed at St Helen's Catholic Primary School in 2024/25. 24.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Helen's Catholic Primary School?
Apply through Barnsley's coordinated admissions process, naming St Helen's Catholic 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 St Helen's Catholic Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 9 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot. 2 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 St Helen's Catholic Primary School?
St Helen's Catholic Primary School is at West Street, Hoyland, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S74 9DL.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)