Milefield Primary School

Milefield Primary School has been noted for its good overall performance, including its strong curriculum and outstanding personal development provisions. Since converting to an academy, the school has demonstrated significant improvements, particularly in terms of educational quality and student outcomes at the end of key stage 2. The school's leadership is committed to fostering an environment where children can thrive, and safety and well-being are prioritized. The engagement of pupils in various leadership roles is commendable, fostering a sense of community and responsibility. However, some inconsistencies in determining pupils’ understanding across lessons have been identified, marking a key area for growth.

Strengths

• Strong curriculum that prepares pupils well for secondary school
• Outstanding provision for personal development
• Effective support for disadvantaged pupils
• Consistently well-taught early reading
• Engagement of pupils in leadership roles
• Commitment to improving pupil attendance

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent application of checking pupils' understanding across lessons
• Some pupils struggle to recall what they have been taught due to gaps in learning

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 Milefield Primary School attended 92.8% 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, 1.0% of pupils at Milefield Primary School 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 Milefield Primary School had 19.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.7% 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, 16.3% of pupils at Milefield Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.1% 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 Milefield Primary School received £7,068 and spent £6,799 for each of its 297 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £412,000 (£1,390 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

Milefield Primary School is part of Hcat, which runs 14 schools. The nearest others:

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

What is Milefield Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Milefield Primary School is Good, from an inspection in May 2024.

When was Milefield Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Milefield Primary School was last inspected in May 2024.

How many pupils does Milefield Primary School have?

Milefield Primary School has 294 pupils on roll.

What age range does Milefield Primary School cover?

Milefield Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Milefield Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 67% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Milefield Primary School?

Milefield Primary School is at Milefield Lane, Grimethorpe, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S72 7BH.