Queens Road Academy

Queens Road Academy remains a good school, demonstrating continued progress since its last inspection in 2017. The school is praised for its caring relationships among staff and pupils, and for fostering a positive learning environment where pupils feel happy and safe. With a well-planned curriculum and high expectations for academic achievement, pupils are well prepared for their futures. Strong leadership has also been highlighted, particularly in how leaders engage with safeguarding practices and improve the educational experience for students with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Strengths

• Strong caring relationships between staff and pupils.
• A well-planned curriculum that fosters academic achievement.
• Effective communication with parents and caregivers.
• High focus on safeguarding and pupil well-being.
• Pupils are well prepared for their futures beyond the curriculum.
• Strong emphasis on teaching reading and phonics.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent attendance among some pupils affecting their learning.
• Assessment systems in development for some wider curriculum subjects.

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 Queens Road Academy attended 94.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.5% 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, 1.9% of pupils at Queens Road Academy 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 Queens Road Academy had 25.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.5% 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, 10.1% of pupils at Queens Road Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.9% 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 Queens Road Academy received £7,738 and spent £7,265 for each of its 205 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £23,000 (£112 per pupil).

Across all 13 schools of Hcat, income was £7,867 and spending £7,746 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

Queens Road Academy is part of Hcat, which runs 14 schools. The nearest others:

• Worsbrough Common Primary School Barnsley
• Summer Lane Primary Barnsley
• Horizon Community College Barnsley
• Ward Green Primary School Barnsley
• The Mill Academy Barnsley
• Mapplewell Primary School Barnsley
• Darton Primary School Barnsley South
• Birdwell Primary School Barnsley
• Upperwood Academy Barnsley
• West Meadows Primary School Barnsley

What is Queens Road Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Queens Road Academy is Good, from an inspection in September 2022.

When was Queens Road Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Queens Road Academy was last inspected in September 2022.

How many pupils does Queens Road Academy have?

Queens Road Academy has 208 pupils on roll.

What age range does Queens Road Academy cover?

Queens Road Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Queens Road Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 54% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Queens Road Academy?

Queens Road Academy is at Queens Road, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S71 1AR.