St Helen's Catholic Primary School, Barnsley
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
St Helen's is a Catholic school where children feel safe, happy and well cared for. Pupils demonstrate excellent behaviour and are developing strong values of respect and consideration. The school is working hard to improve teaching quality, and recent appointments have strengthened the Key Stage 2 team significantly.
Key Strengths
- The executive headteacher has a clear strategic vision and is strengthening teaching quality in Key Stage 2
- Pupils behave well and show respect, with strong personal, social, spiritual and moral development
- Catholic and British values are promoted effectively throughout the school
- Early years outcomes are good
- The federation partnership enables the school to access expertise from other leaders and teachers
Areas for Improvement
- Teaching and learning remain too variable, particularly in Key Stage 1, with work lacking sufficient challenge
- Progress in mathematics is too slow and basic number skills are not secure across the school
- Staffing instability has created uncertainty and prevented improvements from becoming embedded
- Action plans are too general and do not target specific needs of vulnerable groups
- Handwriting and spelling progression is inconsistent across the school
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with robust systems in place, quick follow-up of referrals, and detailed records kept safely.
Extracurricular Activities
Ukulele lessons, after-school clubs, pirate day visits, physical education activities, charity fundraising
St Helen's Catholic Primary School requires improvement, with standards at Key Stage 2 not maintained since the previous inspection and teaching quality being too variable across the school. However, the early years provision is good and pupils demonstrate positive behaviour and personal development.
At a Glance
40.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 73%. Maths has improved from 74% to 82%. Writing has declined from 78% to 0%.
Class Sizes
23.8
Avg class size
5
Total classes
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
Bus Stops
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
84%
Available places
126 pupils
150 capacity
24 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Barnsley
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Barnsley
Admissions Demand - Barnsley
Places available
3,009
Applications
2,440
Got 1st preference
96.3%
Got preferred school
99.2%
Primary admissions across Barnsley (2025/26)
Inspection History(8)
House Prices
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SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.18085%
Overall absence
24.77064%
Persistent absence
109
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
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Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
St Helen's Catholic Primary School
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