Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Beech Close, Brierley, Barnsley, S72 9EJ
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Voluntary controlled school
- Ages
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Headteacher
- Mrs Samantha Benson
- Diocese
- Diocese of Leeds (ce)
- Constituency
- Barnsley North
- Setting
- Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 210
- Pupils on roll
- 205
- URN
- 106629
- Local authority
- Barnsley
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01226711332
About this school
Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is a Church of England voluntary controlled primary school in Barnsley. It teaches children aged 4 to 11 and has 205 pupils on roll.
You can read Ofsted's latest judgement for the school below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 30 | 31 | 28 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 90% | 71% | 86% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 13% | 16% | 7% |
| Expected standard in reading | 97% | 87% | 89% |
| Expected standard in maths | 93% | 74% | 89% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 93% | 71% | 75% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 108.0 | 108.0 | 107.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 107.0 | 107.0 | 105.0 |
| Reading progress | +1.90 | - | - |
| Writing progress | +3.20 | - | - |
| Maths progress | +1.70 | - | - |
Progress measures ended nationally after the 2022/23 school year, when the key stage 1 assessments they were based on were stopped. Blank progress figures in later years are not missing school data.
Trends over time
How Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Barnsley average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 90% | 61.1% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 71% | 60.6% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 86% | 64.1% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 6.2% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 5.9% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 6.7% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 209 |
| 2023/24 | 214 |
| 2024/25 | 204 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School compares
Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School ranked 5th of 73 primary schools in Barnsley for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 95% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 29% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 86% | 6.7% | 22.6% | 205 | — |
| Lift Shafton | 59% | 4.4% | 23.5% | 247 | 1.1 miles |
| St Helen's CE Primary School | 58% | 6.2% | 47.7% | 215 | 1.2 miles |
| Milefield Primary School | 67% | 7.2% | 42.4% | 294 | 1.3 miles |
| Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School | 30% | 7.6% | 34.9% | 119 | 1.5 miles |
| South Hiendley Primary School | 65% | 6.8% | 36.1% | 184 | 1.5 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 22.55%
- English as an additional language
- 2%
- Overall absence
- 6.65%
- Persistent absence
- 18.68%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Lift Shafton1.1 miles
Primary · Barnsley
-
St Helen's CE Primary School1.2 miles
Primary · Pontefract
-
Milefield Primary School1.3 miles
Primary · Barnsley
-
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School1.5 miles
Primary · Pontefract
-
South Hiendley Primary School1.5 miles
Primary · Barnsley
Other schools in Barnsley
Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School ranks 4th of the 59 ranked primary schools in Barnsley.
- All Saints Academy Darfield Primary
- Athersley North Primary School Primary
- Athersley South Primary School Primary
- Bank End Primary Academy Primary
- Barugh Green Primary School Primary
- Birdwell Primary School Primary
- Birkwood Primary School Primary
- Brampton Cortonwood Infant School Primary
- Burton Road Primary School Primary
- Carlton Primary Academy Primary
- Cawthorne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Primary
- Cherry Dale Primary School Primary
Common questions
- What year groups does Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School teach?
- Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School teaches children aged 4 to 11. It is a primary school in Barnsley.
- Who is the headteacher of Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
- The headteacher of Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is Mrs Samantha Benson, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How big is Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
- Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School has 205 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 4 to 11.
- Is Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School full?
- Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School has capacity for 210 pupils and 205 on roll (98%), so it is close to full. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School a faith school?
- Yes. Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Leeds (ce).
- Does Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School as having no nursery classes.
- How have Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 90% in 2022/23 and 86% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School rank locally?
- Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School ranked 5th of 73 primary schools in Barnsley for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 95% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 29% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's absence rate?
- Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's overall absence rate is 6.7% in the latest published census, above the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 29 June 2026.