Laithes Primary School
Laithes Lane, Smithies, Barnsley, S71 3AF
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy sponsor led
- Ages
- 3 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Trust
- EVERY CHILD MATTERS ACADEMY TRUST
- Executive Headteacher
- Mrs Georgina Fletcher
- Religious ethos
- None
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Sponsor
- Every Child Matters Academy Trust
- SEN provision
- ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder
- Constituency
- Barnsley North
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 280
- Pupils on roll
- 308
- URN
- 141974
- Local authority
- Barnsley
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01226281255
About this school
Laithes Primary School is a primary academy in Barnsley. It teaches children aged 3 to 11 and has 308 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected Laithes Primary School, and its latest judgement is set out below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Seeing a school for yourself shows what no page can, so arrange a visit 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
- Outstanding
- 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 | 47 | 46 | 38 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 68% | 74% | 68% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 6% | 13% | 8% |
| Expected standard in reading | 72% | 83% | 74% |
| Expected standard in maths | 74% | 83% | 76% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 66% | 78% | 79% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 104.0 | 109.0 | 104.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 103.0 | 106.0 | 104.0 |
| Reading progress | +2.20 | - | - |
| Writing progress | +1.60 | - | - |
| Maths progress | +1.60 | - | - |
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 Laithes 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 | 68% | 61.1% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 74% | 60.6% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 68% | 64.1% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 5.6% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 5.8% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 7.3% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 327 |
| 2023/24 | 330 |
| 2024/25 | 315 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Laithes Primary School compares
Laithes Primary School ranked 33rd of 73 primary schools in Barnsley for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 61% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 22% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 68% | 7.3% | 54.1% | 308 | — |
| Athersley South Primary School | 66% | 6.5% | 40.4% | 306 | 0.2 miles |
| Athersley North Primary School | 49% | 8.3% | 58.2% | 290 | 0.5 miles |
| Mapplewell Primary School | 76% | 4.2% | 12.3% | 343 | 1.1 miles |
| Wilthorpe Primary School | 71% | 5.5% | 21.6% | 394 | 1.1 miles |
| Carlton Primary Academy | 64% | 5.2% | 23.2% | 317 | 1.2 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)
- 54.11%
- English as an additional language
- 12.4%
- Overall absence
- 7.3%
- Persistent absence
- 27.95%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Athersley South Primary School0.2 miles
Primary · Barnsley
-
Athersley North Primary School0.5 miles
Primary · Barnsley
-
Mapplewell Primary School1.1 miles
Primary · Barnsley
-
Wilthorpe Primary School1.1 miles
Primary · Barnsley
-
Carlton Primary Academy1.2 miles
Primary · Barnsley
Other schools in Barnsley
Laithes Primary School ranks 25th 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
- Brierley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Primary
- Burton Road Primary School Primary
- Carlton Primary Academy Primary
- Cawthorne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Primary
Common questions
- What ages does Laithes Primary School teach?
- Laithes Primary School teaches children aged 3 to 11. It is a primary school in Barnsley.
- Who is the executive headteacher of Laithes Primary School?
- The executive headteacher of Laithes Primary School is Mrs Georgina Fletcher, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Laithes Primary School been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Laithes 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 many pupils are at Laithes Primary School?
- Laithes Primary School has 308 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 3 to 11.
- Is Laithes Primary School full?
- Laithes Primary School has capacity for 280 pupils and 308 on roll (110%), so it is at or above its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Laithes Primary School a faith school?
- No. Laithes Primary School has no designated religious character.
- Does Laithes Primary School have a nursery?
- Yes. The schools register records Laithes Primary School as having nursery classes.
- Is Laithes Primary School part of an academy trust?
- Laithes Primary School is part of EVERY CHILD MATTERS ACADEMY TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- What SEN provision does Laithes Primary School have?
- The schools register lists Laithes Primary School's special educational needs provision as: ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Contact the school to discuss how it would support a particular child.
- How have Laithes Primary School's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 68% in 2022/23 and 68% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does Laithes Primary School compare with other schools in Barnsley?
- Laithes Primary School ranked 33rd of 73 primary schools in Barnsley for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 61% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 22% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Laithes Primary School's absence rate?
- Laithes Primary School's overall absence rate is 7.3% in the latest published census, above the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Laithes Primary School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Laithes 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 2 July 2026.