School profile

Birdwell Primary School

Primary · Academy converter · Barnsley, S70 5XB

Outstanding

Map showing Birdwell Primary School

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

National ranking

Key stage 2 2024/25

#903 of 15,057

Better than 94% of schools in England

Ranked by pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Birdwell Primary School Ofsted rating

Ofsted report cardInspected 20 Jan 2026

Area360 rating
Outstanding
Inclusion
Strong standard
Curriculum and teaching
Strong standard
Achievement
Strong standard
Attendance and behaviour
Strong standard
Personal development and wellbeing
Strong standard
Leadership and governance
Strong standard
Early years
Expected standard
Safeguarding
Met

School facts

PhasePrimary
TypeAcademy converter
Ages4 to 11
Pupils191
GenderMixed
Head teacherMr Richard Swallow
TrustHCAT
Local authorityBarnsley
Opened01 Apr 2023
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 149455.

Key stage 2 results

2024/25

Year 6 results in national curriculum tests and teacher assessments. The expected standard is the level pupils should reach by the end of primary school.

MeasureThis schoolBarnsleyEngland
Expected standard in reading, writing and maths85%, better than England-63%
Higher standard in reading, writing and mathsScore of 110 or more in reading and maths, greater depth in writing.19%, better than England-8%
Average reading scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.108, better than England-106
Average maths scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.107, better than England-105
Average grammar, punctuation and spelling scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.111, better than England-105
Expected standard in reading89%, better than England-76%
Expected standard in writing93%, better than England-73%
Expected standard in maths93%, better than England-75%
Pupils taking tests27--

Source: DfE, Compare school performance, Compare school performance 2024-2025.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils191
Girls93
Boys98
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.20.9%
First language not English4.2%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.210
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.9%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.35
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.3
Average class size27.8

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
92.1%
Other White
3.1%
African
2.6%
Other Asian
1.6%
Other mixed
0.5%
Irish
0%
Traveller of Irish heritage
0%
Gypsy/Roma
0%
White and Black Caribbean
0%
White and Black African
0%

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 teacher21.4
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.13.1
Teachers (FTE)8.93
Teaching assistants (FTE)5.61
Support staff (FTE)6.42
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/258.7
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/258.7
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/250
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/250

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 (Reception)Places offered on national offer day.30
Applications (Reception)Includes every preference parents listed.66
First preference applications (Reception)Families who put this school as their first choice.30
First preference offers (Reception)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.30
Applications from another local authority (Reception)3

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 absence4.2%, better than England-5.1%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.8.4%, better than England-13.2%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.0.6%, similar to England-1%

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 rate0%
Pupils with one or more suspensions0%
Permanent exclusion rate0%
Permanent exclusions0

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 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 Birdwell Primary School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.7 miPrimaryTankersley St Peter's CofE (Aided) Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school
Good
0.9 miPrimaryHoyland Common Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.1 miPrimaryWest Meadows Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Requires improvement
1.3 miSecondaryKirk Balk AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Good
1.5 miPrimarySt Helen's Catholic Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school
Good
1.7 miPrimaryHoyland Springwood Primary SchoolAcademy sponsor led
Good
1.8 miPrimaryThe Mill AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Good
1.8 miPrimaryWard Green Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good

Frequently asked questions about Birdwell Primary School

What is Birdwell Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Birdwell Primary School is rated Outstanding, last inspected on 20 Jan 2026. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.

How does Birdwell Primary School rank in England?

Birdwell Primary School ranks 903 of 15,057 schools in England for Key stage 2 2024/25 (better than 94% of schools).

What are Birdwell Primary School's SATs results?

In 2024/25, 85% of pupils at Birdwell Primary School met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (England 63%).

How hard is it to get into Birdwell Primary School?

For Reception entry in 2026/27, Birdwell Primary School made 30 offers from 66 applications (2.2 per offer), and 30 of 30 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Birdwell Primary School?

Birdwell Primary School has 191 pupils aged 4 to 11.

What is the capacity of Birdwell Primary School?

Birdwell Primary School had 210 school places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at Birdwell Primary School?

At Birdwell Primary School, the average class had 27.8 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 21.4 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Birdwell Primary School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Birdwell Primary School missed 4.2% of sessions (England 5.1%), and 8.4% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 13.2%).

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.