School profile

Darton Academy

Secondary · Academy sponsor led · Barnsley, S75 5EF

Good

Map showing Darton Academy

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

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#891 of 3,312

Better than 73% of schools in England

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

Darton Academy Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 8 Feb 2023

Ofsted rating
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Outstanding
Leadership and management
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy sponsor led
Ages11 to 16
Pupils1,099
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMr Joseph Spencer
TrustDELTA ACADEMIES TRUST
Local authorityBarnsley
Opened01 Oct 2018
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 146320.

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.50.7, better than England, better than Barnsley43.146.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.77.4%, better than England, better than Barnsley63.5%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.66.1%, better than England, better than Barnsley45.7%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.21.5%, better than England, better than Barnsley11.8%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths72.6%, better than England, better than Barnsley58.1%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4186--

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

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils1,099
Girls554
Boys545
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.22.2%
First language not English3.6%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,279
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.14.1%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.109
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.33
Average class size22.6

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
91.4%
Other White
3.1%
African
1.2%
Other mixed
0.9%
Pakistani
0.5%
Other Black
0.5%
White and Asian
0.4%
White and Black Caribbean
0.3%
Other Asian
0.3%
Chinese
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 teacher21.1
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.14.2
Teachers (FTE)52.2
Teaching assistants (FTE)15.77
Support staff (FTE)44.63
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2552.2
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2543.4
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/256.8
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/252

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.230
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.373
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.217
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.217
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)27

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 absence8%, similar to England-8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.23.6%, worse than England-21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.3.7%, similar to 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 rate33.4%
Pupils with one or more suspensions12.2%
Permanent exclusion rate0.9%
Permanent exclusions10

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.93.6%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.86.1%
Further education77.7%
Apprenticeship5.2%
Sixth form college4.8%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.4.8%
School sixth form3.6%
Employment2.4%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 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 Darton Academy
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.1 miPrimaryKexborough Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.0 miPrimaryDarton Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.3 miPrimaryBarugh Green Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.5 miPrimaryCawthorne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolVoluntary controlled school
Good
1.8 miPrimaryWellgate Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good

Frequently asked questions about Darton Academy

What is Darton Academy's Ofsted rating?

Darton Academy is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 8 Feb 2023.

How does Darton Academy rank in England?

Darton Academy ranks 891 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (better than 73% of schools).

What are Darton Academy's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 66.1% of pupils at Darton Academy got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 50.7 (England 46.2).

How hard is it to get into Darton Academy?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Darton Academy made 230 offers from 373 applications (1.6 per offer), and 217 of 217 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Darton Academy?

Darton Academy has 1,099 pupils aged 11 to 16.

What is the capacity of Darton Academy?

Darton Academy had 1,279 school places in 2024/25.

Does Darton Academy have a sixth form?

No, Darton Academy teaches pupils up to age 16.

How big are classes at Darton Academy?

At Darton Academy, the average class had 22.6 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 21.1 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Darton Academy?

In 2025/26, pupils at Darton Academy missed 8% of sessions (England 8%), and 23.6% 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.