Ward Green Primary School, Barnsley
Ward Green Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Barnsley, part of Hcat. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in September 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 51st-highest of the 60 schools in Barnsley with published results, and 10,359th of 14,452 across England. It was 88% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2012)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
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
Ward Green Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 68% of Year 6 pupils at Ward Green Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 72% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 79% in Barnsley and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 77% in reading and 70% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Ward Green Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 39 families put Ward Green Primary School as their first choice and 74 named it as one of their preferences, for 40 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 Ward Green Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Ward Green Primary School are Worsbrough Common Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 74% reading, 79% maths); The Mill Academy (0.4 miles, Good, 80% reading, 77% maths); Bank End Primary Academy (0.8 miles, Good, 92% reading, 96% maths); and The Forest Academy (0.9 miles, Outstanding, 74% reading, 74% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Ward Green Primary School.
Worsbrough Common Primary SchoolThe Mill AcademyBank End Primary AcademyThe Forest Academy
The trust
Ward Green Primary School is one of 14 schools run by Hcat, 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.
What parents say
14 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Ward Green Primary School (as of September 2025): 57% would recommend the school, 86% say their child is happy there and 33% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school has high expectations for their child (86%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (33%).
Who goes there
4.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Barnsley Rail Station, about 1.4 miles away in a straight line.
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Vernon Road/Kingwell Road (adjacent), 60 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 245 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, Ward Green Primary School issued 7 suspensions, 1.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Ward Green Primary School are Barnsley Academy (0.9 miles), Trinity Academy St. Edwards (1.2 miles) and Horizon Community College (1.7 miles).
Barnsley AcademyTrinity Academy St. EdwardsHorizon Community College
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; Ofsted Parent View; 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from November 2012, 13 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Staff have created a school where pupils feel listened to and valued. They are taught to recognise their uniqueness and strengths. Staff have created a warm and welcoming environment for pupils. Pupils get support when they need it. As one pupil who receives support to understand and manage their emotions said, 'If we don't ask for help, then our problems won't go away.'
There have been significant changes in the school over the last 12 months. Pupils are benefiting from these changes both in their academic achievement and in how they behave in lessons and around school. Leaders have ensured that all staff have high expectations for what pupils can achieve and how pupils should behave. Pupils develop a broad, deep and meaningful sense of the wider world and how they can contribute to it.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has developed a clear and ambitious curriculum. It has ensured that pupils build their knowledge and skills from the start of Nursery through to Year 6. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are fully included in the life of the school and the curriculum on offer. Support for pupils with SEND in lessons is becoming more effective and precise because of recent training and development for staff. Pupils achieve well in the curriculum. They are well prepared for the next stage of their education. Leaders have introduced clear teaching strategies across the curriculum. However, sometimes these strategies are not used consistently by staff to help pupils to deepen their knowledge.
From Ofsted's September 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its November 2012 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
28.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
14 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 77% to 68% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 72% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 72% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.7
Avg class size
28.5
Infant (KS1)
27.0
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 Ward Green Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Ward Green Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Ward Green 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
- 13
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 9 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
1 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 Ward Green Primary School
Will you get a place at Ward Green Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Ward Green Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Ward Green Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Ward Green Primary School.
- Barnsley publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Ward Green Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Ward Green Primary School 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
88%
Available places
369 pupils
420 places
51 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
66
SEN Support
16
EHC Plans
23.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
357
Total Pupils
179
Boys
178
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
19
Teachers
18.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,364
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,411
Per pupil
£2252k
Total funding
£159k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.8%
Overall absence
9.7%
Persistent absence
331
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
Ward Green Primary School
Questions parents ask about Ward Green Primary School
What are SATs results like at Ward Green Primary School?
Of the pupils at Ward Green Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 68% reached the expected standard in reading and 72% did so in maths.
What is Ward Green Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Ward Green Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in September 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2012, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Ward Green Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Ward Green 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 Ward Green Primary School?
Ward Green Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 88% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at Ward Green Primary School?
Classes at Ward Green Primary School average 26.7 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 Ward Green Primary School?
Ward Green Primary School has around 357 pupils on roll. 28% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Ward Green Primary School?
4.8% of sessions were missed at Ward Green Primary School in 2024/25. 9.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Ward Green Primary School?
Apply through Barnsley's coordinated admissions process, naming Ward Green 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 Ward Green Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 9 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 1 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 Ward Green Primary School?
Ward Green Primary School is at Vernon Road, Worsbrough Bridge, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S70 5HJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)