Hunningley Primary Academy
Hunningley Lane, Barnsley, S70 3DT
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 3 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Trust
- UNITED LEARNING TRUST
- Headteacher
- Mrs Catherine Horton-Hale
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Sponsor
- United Learning Trust
- Constituency
- Barnsley South
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 420
- Pupils on roll
- 426
- URN
- 144037
- Local authority
- Barnsley
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01226284867
About this school
Hunningley Primary Academy is a primary academy in Barnsley. It teaches children aged 3 to 11 and has 426 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected Hunningley Primary Academy, and its latest judgement is set out 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
- Outstanding
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Outstanding
- Personal development
- Outstanding
- Leadership and management
- Outstanding
- 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 | 57 | 51 | 61 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 77% | 84% | 87% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 4% | 10% | 15% |
| Expected standard in reading | 81% | 88% | 89% |
| Expected standard in maths | 84% | 92% | 89% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 82% | 92% | 87% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 105.0 | 107.0 | 107.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 105.0 | 108.0 | 106.0 |
| Reading progress | +1.50 | - | - |
| Writing progress | +2.40 | - | - |
| Maths progress | +2.60 | - | - |
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 Hunningley Primary Academy 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 | 77% | 61.1% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 84% | 60.6% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 87% | 64.1% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 6.9% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 6.5% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 4.9% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 405 |
| 2023/24 | 409 |
| 2024/25 | 423 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Hunningley Primary Academy compares
Hunningley Primary Academy ranked 4th 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 61% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 87% | 4.9% | 45.8% | 426 | — |
| Oakhill Primary Academy | 69% | 6.8% | 23.8% | 328 | 0.5 miles |
| The Forest Academy | 70% | 6.1% | 39.4% | 346 | 0.5 miles |
| Bank End Primary Academy | 92% | 5.7% | 51.8% | 199 | 0.6 miles |
| The Mill Academy | 63% | 5.9% | 47.4% | 211 | 1.0 miles |
| Oakwell Rise Primary Academy | 81% | 4.9% | 47.1% | 236 | 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.
Inspection history
- 21 March 2023
-
Ungraded inspection report10 November 2021
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 45.83%
- English as an additional language
- 13.9%
- Overall absence
- 4.93%
- Persistent absence
- 11.99%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Oakhill Primary Academy0.5 miles
Primary · Barnsley
-
The Forest Academy0.5 miles
Primary · Barnsley
-
Bank End Primary Academy0.6 miles
Primary · Barnsley
-
The Mill Academy1.0 miles
Primary · Barnsley
-
Oakwell Rise Primary Academy1.2 miles
Primary · Barnsley
Other schools in Barnsley
Hunningley Primary Academy ranks 3rd 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 Hunningley Primary Academy teach?
- Hunningley Primary Academy teaches children aged 3 to 11. It is a primary school in Barnsley.
- Who is the headteacher of Hunningley Primary Academy?
- The headteacher of Hunningley Primary Academy is Mrs Catherine Horton-Hale, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Hunningley Primary Academy been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Hunningley Primary Academy, 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 Hunningley Primary Academy?
- Hunningley Primary Academy has 426 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 3 to 11.
- Is Hunningley Primary Academy full?
- Hunningley Primary Academy has capacity for 420 pupils and 426 on roll (101%), 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 Hunningley Primary Academy a faith school?
- No. Hunningley Primary Academy has no designated religious character.
- Is Hunningley Primary Academy a selective school?
- No. Hunningley Primary Academy is recorded as non-selective in the schools register.
- Does Hunningley Primary Academy have a nursery?
- Yes. The schools register records Hunningley Primary Academy as having nursery classes.
- Is Hunningley Primary Academy part of an academy trust?
- Hunningley Primary Academy is part of UNITED LEARNING TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How have Hunningley Primary Academy's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 77% in 2022/23 and 87% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does Hunningley Primary Academy compare with other schools in Barnsley?
- Hunningley Primary Academy ranked 4th 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 61% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Hunningley Primary Academy's absence rate?
- Hunningley Primary Academy's overall absence rate is 4.9% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Hunningley Primary Academy's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Hunningley Primary Academy'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 10 July 2026.