Wellgate Primary School, Barnsley
Wellgate Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Barnsley, part of Every Child Matters Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2016. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 22nd-highest of the 60 schools in Barnsley with published results, and 5,775th of 14,452 across England. It was 94% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2016)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- 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
Wellgate Primary School in detail
Wellgate Primary School in its own words
The school runs after-school care.
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 79% of Year 6 pupils at Wellgate Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 81% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 79% in Barnsley and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 75% in reading and 73% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Wellgate Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 54 families put Wellgate Primary School as their first choice and 120 named it as one of their preferences, for 60 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 2 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Wellgate Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Wellgate Primary School are Mapplewell Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 89% reading, 89% maths); Darton Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 79% reading, 64% maths); Athersley North Primary School (1 mile, Good, 54% reading, 59% maths); and Laithes Primary School (1.4 miles, Good, 74% reading, 76% maths).
Wellgate Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
Mapplewell Primary SchoolDarton Primary SchoolAthersley North Primary SchoolLaithes Primary School
The trust
Wellgate Primary School is one of 11 schools run by Every Child Matters Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 63% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
57 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Wellgate Primary School (as of September 2025): 97% would recommend the school, 97% say their child is happy there and 82% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (82%).
Who goes there
4.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Darton Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is New Road/Zion Drive (adjacent), 90 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 67 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Barnsley (121).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Wellgate Primary School issued 15 suspensions, 3.6 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; 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
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from July 2016, 10 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school has improved significantly.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Wellgate Primary excels at creating a calm, supportive environment where all children thrive. Teachers have very high expectations, deliver engaging lessons with creative teaching methods, and place strong emphasis on mental wellbeing and character development. Pupils are proud of their work and demonstrate exceptional kindness and respect towards each other.
Key Strengths
- Exceptional behaviour and relationships - pupils are kind, respectful and feel safe with very positive staff connections
- Outstanding provision for pupils with SEND, with adapted resources and activities helping them access the curriculum alongside peers
- Remarkable work on character development through the 'Wellgate Way' values, with extensive personal development opportunities
- High quality, ambitious curriculum delivered expertly by experienced teachers with clever subject links
- Strong early reading instruction using a phonics scheme taught by expertly trained teachers, with quick additional support for those who need it
Areas for Improvement
- Pupils' achievement in national tests does not yet reflect the highly effective teaching they receive
- Attendance, though improving, has been an area of concern and the school is continuing to work on this
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Sport, music, sewing, baking, art, school council roles, peer leader positions, reading ambassador roles, careers events, educational trips
Wellgate Primary School shows evidence of significant improvement across all areas since its last inspection. The school has exceptionally high expectations for pupils, who respond by achieving well and demonstrating outstanding behaviour and character development.
At a Glance
22.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
57 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 improved from 75% to 79% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 73% to 81% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 59% to 77% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.4
Avg class size
26.8
Infant (KS1)
28.3
KS2
15
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Wellgate Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Wellgate Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Wellgate 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
- 11
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 7 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle.
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 Wellgate Primary School
Will you get a place at Wellgate Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Wellgate Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Wellgate Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Wellgate Primary School.
- Barnsley publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Wellgate Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Wellgate 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
94%
Near capacity
393 pupils
420 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: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
64
SEN Support
13
EHC Plans
18.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
424
Total Pupils
216
Boys
208
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
21
Teachers
20.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,501
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,167
Per pupil
£2242k
Total funding
£130k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.3%
Overall absence
19.0%
Persistent absence
353
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
Wellgate Primary School
Questions parents ask about Wellgate Primary School
What are SATs results like at Wellgate Primary School?
Of the pupils at Wellgate Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 79% reached the expected standard in reading and 81% did so in maths.
What is Wellgate Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Wellgate Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in July 2016, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Wellgate Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Wellgate 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 Wellgate Primary School?
Wellgate Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 94% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at Wellgate Primary School?
Classes at Wellgate Primary School average 27.4 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 Wellgate Primary School?
Wellgate Primary School has around 424 pupils on roll. 22% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Wellgate Primary School?
6.3% of sessions were missed at Wellgate Primary School in 2024/25. 19% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Wellgate Primary School?
Apply through Barnsley's coordinated admissions process, naming Wellgate 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 Wellgate Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 7 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle. 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 Wellgate Primary School?
Wellgate Primary School is at George Street, Mapplewell, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S75 6HR.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)