All Saints Academy Darfield

All Saints Academy Darfield is currently rated as requiring improvement overall. The school demonstrates positive relationships between pupils and adults, contributing to a welcoming environment where pupils generally enjoy school. Notably, while the early years provision and personal development of pupils are strong, some areas of the curriculum, particularly in reading and mathematics, need further enhancement to ensure all pupils achieve to their full potential. The school is part of St Mary’s Academy Trust, which is actively involved in its governance and improvement efforts. This inspection marks the first since the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the ongoing challenges faced in educational recovery.

Strengths

• Positive relationships between pupils and adults
• Ambitious expectations for all pupils, including those with SEND
• Well-designed early years curriculum that engages children's interests
• Strong emphasis on pupils' personal development and safety
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils' achievement in some subjects does not meet expectations
• Curriculum implementation is at a very early stage
• Insufficient focus on identifying and addressing gaps in pupils' reading and mathematics knowledge
• Governors lack sufficient depth of understanding regarding educational quality

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at All Saints Academy Darfield attended 93.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 19.0% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.5% of pupils at All Saints Academy Darfield were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 All Saints Academy Darfield had 19.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.9% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 17.9% of pupils at All Saints Academy Darfield were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.9% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 All Saints Academy Darfield received £7,377 and spent £7,168 for each of its 206 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £28,000 (£135 per pupil).

Across all 19 schools of The Diocese of Sheffield Academies Trust, income was £6,532 and spending £6,534 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Barnsley · Barnsley local authority: places and applications

All Saints Academy Darfield is part of The Diocese of Sheffield Academies Trust, which runs 20 schools. The nearest others:

• The Ellis Church of England Primary School Barnsley
• Elsecar Holy Trinity CofE Primary Academy Barnsley
• Kilnhurst St Thomas' CofE Primary Academy Mexborough
• Thrybergh Fullerton Church of England Primary Academy Rotherham
• Trinity Croft CofE Primary Academy Rotherham
• Flanderwell Primary School Rotherham
• St Alban's CofE (Aided) Primary School Rotherham
• Pye Bank CofE Primary School Sheffield
• Treeton Church of England Primary School Rotherham
• St Mary's Church of England Primary School Sheffield

What is All Saints Academy Darfield's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for All Saints Academy Darfield is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in June 2024.

When was All Saints Academy Darfield last inspected by Ofsted?

All Saints Academy Darfield was last inspected in June 2024.

How many pupils does All Saints Academy Darfield have?

All Saints Academy Darfield has 207 pupils on roll.

What age range does All Saints Academy Darfield cover?

All Saints Academy Darfield for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are All Saints Academy Darfield's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 57% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is All Saints Academy Darfield?

All Saints Academy Darfield is at School Street, Darfield, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S73 9EU.