Oakwell Rise Primary Academy

Oakwell Rise Primary Academy demonstrates strong overall performance with notable strengths in academic achievement and effective leadership. Pupils achieve consistently well across various subjects, with those from disadvantaged backgrounds attaining high standards comparable to their peers. The school's innovative curriculum and targeted teaching strategies support pupils' understanding and foster a love of learning, particularly evident in their impressive writing skills and confidence in discussing their knowledge. While attendance is generally good and improving, there remains a need for further efforts to address persistent absence among specific groups, including those with special educational needs and disadvantaged pupils.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve consistently well across the curriculum.
• High-quality writing skills among students.
• Effective curriculum design and teaching adapted to pupils' needs.
• Strong focus on reading and phonics instruction.
• Inclusive practices support all students, including those with SEND.
• Leaders demonstrate a strong commitment to supporting the community.

Areas for Improvement

• Need for sustained improvement in persistent absence rates.

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 Oakwell Rise Primary Academy attended 95.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.7% 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, 0.4% of pupils at Oakwell Rise Primary 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 Oakwell Rise Primary Academy had 22.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 26.9% 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, 13.6% of pupils at Oakwell Rise Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.4% 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 Oakwell Rise Primary Academy received £7,624 and spent £7,698 for each of its 238 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £194,000 (£815 per pupil).

Across all 25 schools of Wellspring Academy Trust, income was £12,764 and spending £12,663 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

Oakwell Rise Primary Academy is part of Wellspring Academy Trust, which runs 25 schools. The nearest others:

• The Forest Academy Barnsley
• Greenacre School Barnsley
• Oakhill Primary Academy Barnsley
• Springwell Special Academy Barnsley
• Joseph Norton Academy Huddersfield
• Elements Primary School Leeds
• Springwell Leeds Academy Leeds
• Victoria Primary Academy Leeds
• Ebor Gardens Primary Academy Leeds
• Bramley Park Academy Leeds

What is Oakwell Rise Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Oakwell Rise Primary Academy is Expected standard, from an inspection in April 2026.

When was Oakwell Rise Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Oakwell Rise Primary Academy was last inspected in April 2026.

How many pupils does Oakwell Rise Primary Academy have?

Oakwell Rise Primary Academy has 236 pupils on roll.

What age range does Oakwell Rise Primary Academy cover?

Oakwell Rise Primary Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Oakwell Rise Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 81% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Oakwell Rise Primary Academy?

Oakwell Rise Primary Academy is at Doncaster Road, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S70 1TS.