The Forest Academy, Barnsley
The Forest Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Barnsley, part of Wellspring Academy Trust. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 38th-highest of the 60 schools in Barnsley with published results, and 8,749th of 14,452 across England. It was 92% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2023)
- 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
The Forest Academy in detail
The Forest Academy in its own words
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, tennis, multi-sports and film.
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 74% of Year 6 pupils at The Forest Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 74% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 79% in Barnsley and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 85% in reading and 88% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at The Forest Academy
For September 2026 entry, 33 families put The Forest Academy as their first choice and 61 named it as one of their preferences, for 35 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to The Forest Academy are Bank End Primary Academy (0.4 miles, Good, 92% reading, 96% maths); Hunningley Primary Academy (0.5 miles, Outstanding, 89% reading, 89% maths); The Mill Academy (0.7 miles, Good, 80% reading, 77% maths); and Oakwell Rise Primary Academy (0.7 miles, Good, 87% reading, 87% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than The Forest Academy.
Bank End Primary AcademyHunningley Primary AcademyThe Mill AcademyOakwell Rise Primary Academy
The trust
The Forest Academy is one of 33 schools run by Wellspring Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 61% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
39.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
Staffing
The Forest Academy had 21 teachers in 2026, one for every 15 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Barnsley Rail Station, about 1.2 miles away in a straight line.
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Birk Terrace/Thornton Road (opposite), 140 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The Forest Academy stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 315 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Barnsley (121), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, The Forest Academy issued 10 suspensions, 2.8 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; DfE school workforce census; 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 · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its February 2023 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
39.3%
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 85% to 74% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 88% to 74% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 75% to 70% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.8
Avg class size
28.0
Infant (KS1)
29.8
KS2
12
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 The Forest Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Forest Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Forest 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
- 8
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 5 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot.
3 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 The Forest Academy
Will you get a place at The Forest Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against The Forest Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for The Forest Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to The Forest Academy.
- Barnsley publishes last distance offered figures, but none for The Forest Academy that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at The Forest 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
92%
Near capacity
313 pupils
340 places
27 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
53
SEN Support
11
EHC Plans
18.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
346
Total Pupils
171
Boys
175
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
21
Teachers
16.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,942
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,731
Per pupil
£2047k
Total funding
£176k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.1%
Overall absence
17.6%
Persistent absence
278
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
The Forest Academy
Questions parents ask about The Forest Academy
What are SATs results like at The Forest Academy?
Of the pupils at The Forest Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 74% reached the expected standard in reading and 74% did so in maths.
What is The Forest Academy's Ofsted rating?
The Forest Academy was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2015 it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for The Forest Academy?
No fixed boundary. When The Forest 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 The Forest Academy?
The Forest Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 92% of its 340 places.
How big are the classes at The Forest Academy?
Classes at The Forest Academy average 27.8 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 The Forest Academy?
The Forest Academy has around 346 pupils on roll. 39% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at The Forest Academy?
6.1% of sessions were missed at The Forest Academy in 2024/25. 17.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Forest Academy?
Apply through Barnsley's coordinated admissions process, naming The Forest 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.
How many road collisions happen near The Forest Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 5 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot. 3 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 The Forest Academy?
The Forest Academy is at Thornton Road, Kendray, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S70 3NG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)