School profile

Penistone Grammar School

Secondary · Community school · Sheffield, S36 7BX

Good

Map showing Penistone Grammar School

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#804 of 3,312

Better than 75% of schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

A-level 2024/25

#374 of 2,536

Better than 85% of schools in England

Ranked by average points per A-level entry.

Penistone Grammar School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 8 Oct 2013

Ofsted rating
Good
Leadership and management
Good

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeCommunity school
Ages11 to 18
Pupils1,946
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMr Paul Crook
Local authorityBarnsley
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 106653.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolBarnsleyEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.51.4, better than England, better than Barnsley43.146.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.78.9%, better than England, better than Barnsley63.5%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.59.1%, better than England, better than Barnsley45.7%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.16%, similar to England, better than Barnsley11.8%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths74.5%, better than England, better than Barnsley58.1%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4318--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

A-level results

2024/25

Results for students at the end of 16 to 18 study.

MeasureThis schoolBarnsleyEngland
Average points per A-level entryA* is 60, A is 50, B is 40, C is 30, D is 20, E is 10.40.67, better than England, better than Barnsley34.0735
Average A-level gradeB--
Average points, best three A-levels40.11, better than England, better than Barnsley34.7135.78
Average grade, best three A-levelsB--
AAB or better25.9%, better than England, better than Barnsley14.4%17.5%
A-level progress scoreCompared with students with similar GCSE results. 0 is average.0.08, similar to England--
A-level progressAverage, similar to England--
Students at the end of 16 to 18 study142--
Average applied general gradeVocational qualifications, such as BTECs.Dist---

Source: DfE, 16 to 19 performance, Academic year 2024/25, published 23 Apr 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils1,946
Girls970
Boys976
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.13.4%
First language not English1.9%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,907
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.0%
Sixth form places2024/25300
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.257
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.106
Average class size21.1

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
88.9%
Other White
1.9%
White and Asian
1%
Other mixed
1%
African
0.9%
White and Black Caribbean
0.6%
Other ethnic group
0.4%
Indian
0.3%
Pakistani
0.3%
Other Asian
0.3%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher18.8
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.12.8
Teachers (FTE)103.3
Teaching assistants (FTE)23.57
Support staff (FTE)71
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/25107.1
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2596.7
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/254.6
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/255.8

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day.309
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.472
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.311
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.307
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)68

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolBarnsleyEngland
Overall absence7.3%, better than England-8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.18.3%, better than England-21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.3%, better than England-3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate4.2%
Pupils with one or more suspensions1.9%
Permanent exclusion rate0%
Permanent exclusions0

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.95.2%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.90.6%
School sixth form47.1%
Further education39%
Sixth form college4.2%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.4.2%
Apprenticeship3.5%
Employment1%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Destinations after A-levels

2023/24

Where students went after 16 to 18 study, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.92.5%
Higher education69.4%
Employment14.3%
Apprenticeship8.2%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.6.1%
Further education0%

Source: DfE, 16 to 18 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Penistone Grammar School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.7 miPrimaryThurlstone Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.8 miPrimaryPenistone St John's Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school
Good
1.1 miPrimarySpringvale Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
1.4 miPrimaryHoylandswaine Primary SchoolAcademy sponsor led
Inadequate
1.6 miPrimaryMillhouse Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good

Frequently asked questions about Penistone Grammar School

What is Penistone Grammar School's Ofsted rating?

Penistone Grammar School is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 8 Oct 2013.

How does Penistone Grammar School rank in England?

Penistone Grammar School ranks 804 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (better than 75% of schools) and 374 of 2,536 schools in England for A-level 2024/25 (better than 85% of schools).

What are Penistone Grammar School's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 59.1% of pupils at Penistone Grammar School got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 51.4 (England 46.2).

What are Penistone Grammar School's A-level results?

In 2024/25, the average A-level grade at Penistone Grammar School was B, and 25.9% of students got AAB or better (England 17.5%).

How hard is it to get into Penistone Grammar School?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Penistone Grammar School made 309 offers from 472 applications (1.5 per offer), and 307 of 311 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Penistone Grammar School?

Penistone Grammar School has 1,946 pupils aged 11 to 18.

What is the capacity of Penistone Grammar School?

Penistone Grammar School had 1,907 school places in 2024/25.

Does Penistone Grammar School have a sixth form?

Yes, Penistone Grammar School has a sixth form with 300 places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at Penistone Grammar School?

At Penistone Grammar School, the average class had 21.1 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 18.8 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Penistone Grammar School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Penistone Grammar School missed 7.3% of sessions (England 8%), and 18.3% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.