Waterton Newstead Academy, Barnsley
Waterton Newstead Academy is a special school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Barnsley. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2024. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
Data last updated 1 Nov 2026
Waterton Newstead Academy in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Waterton Newstead Academy are Springwell Special Academy (1.2 miles, Good); Greenacre School (3 miles, Outstanding); Camphill Wakefield (Pennine Camphill Community Ltd) (3.6 miles, Requires improvement); and West Riding Academy (3.9 miles).
Springwell Special AcademyGreenacre SchoolCamphill Wakefield (Pennine Camphill Community Ltd)West Riding Academy
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Waterton Newstead Academy has an education, health and care plan (70 of 70 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Darton Rail Station, about 2 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Newstead Road/Lindhurst Road (near), 30 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Waterton Newstead Academy stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Met all the independent school standards.
- Part 1: quality of educationMet
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyMet
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationMet
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementMet
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's October 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Waterton Newstead Academy specializes in supporting children with special educational needs, with staff trained to understand each pupil's specific needs. The school has a rich curriculum that goes beyond academics to develop children's character, resilience and understanding of right and wrong. Parents can expect strong communication, effective transition support, and a genuine focus on their child's overall development and wellbeing.
Key Strengths
- Rich and broad curriculum that supports pupils' wider development and understanding of British values
- Effective safeguarding systems with comprehensive policies and well-trained staff
- Strong focus on supporting pupils with special educational needs through tailored teaching and appropriate resources
- Well-established assessment processes that consider education, health and care plans and parental views
- High standards of premises maintenance with secure, well-resourced sites
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective - the school has comprehensive policies, well-trained designated safeguarding leads, robust recruitment procedures, and clear evidence of prompt and thorough responses to concerns.
Extracurricular Activities
Off-site visits, community interactions, school parliament
Waterton Newstead Academy is expanding to two additional sites and extending provision to include four-year-old children. The school is likely to meet all independent school standards if the material changes are approved.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Waterton Newstead Academy
Nurseries
The nearest nurseries and pre-schools to Waterton Newstead Academy, with their latest published grades:
- Athersley Family Centre - Pre-school, under 0.1 milesOfsted, 27 September 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Marys Little Lambs Staincross - Pre-school, 0.3 milesOfsted, 8 April 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Curiosity Cottage (Athersley) - Day nursery, 0.4 miles
- Fenwood House Day Nursery Mapplewell - Day nursery, 0.9 milesOfsted report card, 17 February 2026: Expected standard in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met
- Leap Ahead Day Nursery Ltd - Day nursery, 1.1 milesOfsted, 15 July 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 9
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 1 serious and 7 slight.
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 are DfT estimates (severity adjustment). Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
108%
Over capacity
70 pupils
65 places
5 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Across Barnsley council
Places available
2,717
Applications
2,653
Got 1st preference
91.0%
Got preferred school
98.2%
All secondary applications across Barnsley council (2026/27), not just this school.
New homes granted nearby
Councils granted planning permission for at least 14 new homes within 2 miles of Waterton Newstead Academy since October 2023.
Largest schemes
- 14 homes at Land between Cromford Avenue and Blackheath Road. Athersley South, Barnsley, S71 3SZBarnsley, ref 2024/1000 - granted 7 April 2025, 1 mile away
Schemes of 10 or more homes. Only full and outline permissions with the number of homes stated in the application are counted, and applications that may be for the same homes are counted once, so the true figure can be higher. Source: councils' planning registers.
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
70
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Waterton Newstead Academy is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
70
Total Pupils
57
Boys
13
Girls
2026 academic year
Linked Schools
Schools linked by geographic proximity
Waterton Newstead Academy
Questions parents ask about Waterton Newstead Academy
What is Waterton Newstead Academy's Ofsted rating?
Waterton Newstead Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2025, was ungraded. At its last graded inspection, in July 2024, it was rated Good.
Does Waterton Newstead Academy meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in July 2024, Waterton Newstead Academy met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Waterton Newstead Academy?
Waterton Newstead Academy has around 70 pupils on roll.
Does Waterton Newstead Academy have specialist SEN provision?
Waterton Newstead Academy is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How many road collisions happen near Waterton Newstead Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 1 serious and 7 slight. 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 Waterton Newstead Academy?
Waterton Newstead Academy is at Newstead Road, Athersley, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S71 3NA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)