We're responsible for making sure that we have enough school places in the borough to meet the educational needs of children who live in our area.
These places must provide education suitable for pupils of all ages, abilities and aptitudes, including those who have special educational needs.
To help us meet our statutory duty, and to make sure we have all the necessary information upon which to to base our decisions, we regularly review the number of school places we already have and what we'll require in the future. This enables us to work with schools across the borough to ensure we can meet future demand, taking into consideration any housing developments.
This ongoing analysis informs us where we may need to increase or decrease the number of places, both in individual schools and in specific areas of the borough.
New primary school in Barugh Green and Higham area
We have invited expressions of interest from academy proposers interested in sponsoring a new 315 place (with the potential to expand to 420 in the future if required) primary school from September 2023. This is dependent upon commencement of the development and will serve the Barugh Green and Higham areas of Barnsley. The closing date for expressions of interest was 21 May 2021 and the process has now commenced to assess applications and recommend the Local Authority’s preferred sponsor to the Secretary of State.
The Secretary of State will take the local authority’s assessment into account, along with any additional factors of which he is aware and reserves the right to agree a sponsor of his own choice (from the department’s list of approved sponsors). As the intention is to ensure that the school is always established by the most suitable proposer possible, involving a representative of the Secretary of State in the local authority’s assessment processes ensures that all relevant and up-to-date evidence is taken into account and that the process of appointing a sponsor runs as smoothly as possible.
Frequently asked questions
Where will pupils come from for this school?
It's envisaged that pupils will come from the local area, although any parent will have the opportunity to submit a preference for the school. There are already other schools in the local area and so parents will have a greater number of options available to them.
Can you guarantee places in the new school?
Under the school admissions legislation, school places cannot be reserved or guaranteed within a particular school, although the school is being built to specifically meet the need arising from the development and children already in the local area. All parents would have the right to an independent appeal if a place could not be offered.
How will it be decided which children can be offered a place?
If there are more applications than places available the oversubscription criteria would be applied, which is exactly the same as for current schools in the area:
- Children with a statement of special educational need or EHC
- Looked after and previously looked after children
- Children who will have a sibling in the school at the time of their admission
- Straight line distance from the home address to the school
This will mean that children who live closer to the school have a higher priority than those living further away, unless they fall into the top three categories.
How will children get to the school and is there any assistance with travel?
It's the parent’s responsibility to ensure their child’s attendance at school and make arrangements for them to get there. However, some families may be eligible for assistance; take a look at our school travel information.
- View the results of the Barugh Green and Higham new primary school consultation.
- Find out more about the location of the proposed new primary school.
Primary and secondary school places
Location of primary schools in the planning areas
School |
Planning area |
All Saints Academy |
South East |
Athersley North |
North East |
Athersley South |
North East |
Barugh Green |
North |
Birdwell |
South West |
Birkwood |
North East |
Brierley CE (VC) |
North East |
Burton Road |
Central |
Carlton |
North East |
Carrfield |
South East |
Cawthorne CE (VC) |
South West |
Cherry Dale |
North East |
Cudworth Churchfield |
North East |
Darton |
North |
Dearne Goldthorpe |
South East |
Dodworth St John the Baptist CE |
North |
Doncaster Road |
Central |
Elsecar Holy Trinity CE |
South West |
Gawber |
North |
Gooseacre Primary Academy |
South East |
Greenfield |
South West |
Heather Garth |
South East |
Highgate Primary Academy |
South East |
High View PLC |
South East |
Holy Rood Catholic (VA) |
Central |
Holy Trinity Catholic (VA) 3-16 |
North East |
Hoyland Common |
South West |
Hoyland Springwood |
South West |
Hoylandswaine |
South West |
Hunningley |
Central |
Joseph Locke |
Central |
Jump |
South West |
Keresforth |
North |
Kexbrough |
North |
Kings Oak PLC |
South East |
Lacewood |
South East |
Ladywood |
North East |
Laithes Primary |
North East |
Mapplewell |
North |
Meadstead Primary Academy |
North East |
Milefield |
North East |
Millhouse |
South West |
Oakhill Academy |
Central |
Outwood Primary Academy Littleworth Grange |
|
Oxspring |
South West |
Parkside Primary Academy |
North East |
Penistone St John Baptist Primary CE(VA) |
South West |
Queens Road Academy |
Central |
Royston St John Baptist CE |
North East |
St Helen’s Primary Academy |
North East |
St Helen’s Catholic (VA) |
South West |
St Mary’s CE |
North |
St Michael and All Angels Catholic (VA) |
South East |
Sacred Heart Catholic (VA) |
South East |
Sandhill |
North East |
Shafton |
North East |
Shawlands |
Central |
Silkstone |
South West |
Silkstone Common |
South West |
Springvale |
South West |
Summerfields Primary Academy |
North East |
Summer Lane |
North |
Tankersley St Peter’s CE (VA) |
South West |
The Darfield Primary Academy |
South East |
The Ellis CE (VA) |
South West |
The Forest Academy |
Central |
The Hill |
South East |
The Mill |
Central |
Thurgoland CE (VC) |
South West |
Thurlstone |
South West |
Upperwood Primary Academy |
South East |
Ward Green |
Central |
Wellgate |
North |
West Meadows |
South West |
Wilthorpe |
North |
Wombwell Park Street |
South East |
Worsbrough Bank End |
Central |
Worsbrough Common |
Central |
Primary school places and their communities
Area |
Planning Area |
Central |
Central, Kingstone, Stairfoot and Worsbrough |
North |
Darton East, Darton West, Dodworth and Old Town |
North East |
Cudworth, North East, Royston, Monk Bretton and St Helen’s |
South East |
Wombwell, Darfield, Dearne North and Dearne South |
South West |
Penistone East, Penistone West, Rockingham and Hoyland Milton |
Spaces in secondary school places
The net capacity is a calculation of the number of children that a school can reasonably be expected to accommodate.
The capacity figures are calculated using the Department for Education ‘net capacity assessment method’. This method, or formula, takes into account the floor space of the teaching areas and how those teaching areas are used, for example: general teaching area, practical teaching area, laboratories, etc. The teaching area information is then used to calculate a figure for the school’s capacity to accommodate pupils.
The capacities of individual secondary schools
School |
Capacity |
Barnsley Academy |
900 |
Darton Academy |
1200 |
Holy Trinity 3-16 Academy |
700 |
Horizon Community College |
2000 |
Kirk Balk Academy |
1350 |
Netherwood Academy |
1600 |
Outwood Academy Carlton |
1100 |
Outwood Academy Shafton |
1350 |
Penistone Grammar |
1600 |
The Dearne Academy |
1200 |
Trinity Academy Barnsley (due to open September 2021) |
900 |
Secondary school place planning areas
Central
- Horizon Community College
- Barnsley Academy
- Darton Academy
- Trinity Academy Barnsley
Penistone
- Penistone Grammar School
North East
- Holy Trinity 3-16 Academy
- Outwood Academy Carlton
- Outwood Academy Shafton
South West
- Kirk Balk Academy
- Netherwood academy
Planning areas and schools in the borough
Central - Central and Kingstone
- Burton Road
- Doncaster Road
- Queens Road Academy
- Holy Rood Catholic
- Shawlands
- Joseph Locke
- Worsbrough Common
Central - Stairfoot and Worsbrough
- Hunningley
- Oakhill Primary Academy
- The Forest Academy
- Worsbrough Bank End
- The Mill Academy
- Ward Green
North East - Cudworth and North East
- Birkwood
- Cudworth Churchfield
- Cherry Dale
- Brierley CE (VC)
- Ladywood
- Milefield
- Shafton Primary Academy
- Sandhill
North East - Royston, Monk Bretton and St Helen’s
- Athersley North
- Athersley South
- Holy Cross Deanery CE (VA)
- Laithes Primary Academy
- Holy Trinity
- Outwood Primary Academy Littleworth Grange
- St Helen’s Primary Academy
- Carlton Primary Academy
- Parkside Primary Academy
- Summerfields Primary Academy
- Royston St John Baptist CE
- Meadstead Primary Academy
North - Darton East, Darton West, Dodworth and Old Town
- Kexborough
- Barugh Green
- Darton
- Wellgate
- Mapplewell
- Wilthorpe (Infant Site)
- Wilthorpe (Junior Site)
- Summer Lane
- St Mary’s CE
- Dodworth St John CE Primary Acad
- Keresforth
South East - Wombwell and Darfield
- All Saints Academy
- Upperwood Academy
- The Darfield Primary Academy
- St Michael and All Angels Catholic
- High View PLC
- Kings Oak PLC
- Wombwell Park Street
South East - Dearne North and Dearne South
- Carrfield
- Lacewood
- Heather Garth
- Highgate
- Dearne Goldthorpe
- Sacred Heart Catholic
- Gooseacre
- The Hill
South West - Penistone West
- Millhouse
- Thurlstone
- Penistone St John’s CE (VA)
- Springvale
South West - Penistone East
- Cawthorne CE (VC)
- Oxspring
- Silkstone
- Silkstone Common
- Tankersley St Peter’s CE (VA)
- Thurgoland CE (VC)
- Hoylandswaine
South West - Rockingham and Hoyland Milton
- The Ellis CE (VA)
- Elsecar Holy Trinity CE
- Greenfield
- Jump
- Hoyland Springwood
- St Helen’s Catholic
- Hoyland Common
- Birdwell
- West Meadows
For more information
Call (01226) 773677 or