Outwood Academy Carlton

Outwood Academy Carlton has demonstrated effective action in maintaining the educational standards noted in its previous inspection. Under the leadership of Principal Paul Taylor and as part of the Outwood Grange Academies Trust, the school fosters an inclusive environment where pupils of various backgrounds and abilities are welcomed, including those with special educational needs. Pupils engage well with their learning, reflecting a strong moral code and contributing positively to their community. While most pupils achieve well, attendance remains a significant concern, hampering the progress of some students.

Strengths

• The school teaches pupils to develop a strong moral code.
• Pupils are happy and enjoy their learning experiences.
• Strong curriculum designed to prepare pupils for future education and employment.
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs.
• Positive behavior and respect towards teachers and peers.
• Improved attendance through extensive strategies.

Areas for Improvement

• A significant number of pupils do not attend regularly enough, limiting their progress.
• Inconsistency in checking pupil understanding and addressing misconceptions.

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 Outwood Academy Carlton attended 87.7% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 30.2% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

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, 13.9% of pupils at Outwood Academy Carlton were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 6 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 Outwood Academy Carlton had 18.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 23.5% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

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, 12.4% of pupils at Outwood Academy Carlton were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 7.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 16 pupils.

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 secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Outwood Academy Carlton received £9,292 and spent £8,923 for each of its 1,132 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,598,000 (£1,412 per pupil).

Across all 40 schools of Outwood Grange Academies Trust, income was £8,313 and spending £8,200 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

Outwood Academy Carlton is part of Outwood Grange Academies Trust, which runs 40 schools. The nearest others:

• Outwood Academy Shafton Barnsley
• Outwood Primary Academy Littleworth Grange Barnsley
• Outwood Primary Academy Newstead Green Wakefield
• Outwood Academy Hemsworth Pontefract
• Outwood Primary Academy Darfield Barnsley
• Outwood Primary Academy Bell Lane Pontefract
• Outwood Primary Academy Greenhill Wakefield
• Outwood Primary Academy Park Hill Wakefield
• Outwood Academy City Fields Wakefield
• Outwood Academy Freeston Normanton

What is Outwood Academy Carlton's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Outwood Academy Carlton is Good, from an inspection in December 2024.

When was Outwood Academy Carlton last inspected by Ofsted?

Outwood Academy Carlton was last inspected in December 2024.

How many pupils does Outwood Academy Carlton have?

Outwood Academy Carlton has 1,109 pupils on roll.

What age range does Outwood Academy Carlton cover?

Outwood Academy Carlton for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Outwood Academy Carlton's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 42.0, and 49% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Outwood Academy Carlton?

Outwood Academy Carlton is at Royston Lane, Carlton, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S71 3EW.