Darton Academy
Ballfield Lane, Darton, Barnsley, S75 5EF
- Phase
- Secondary
- School type
- Academy sponsor led
- Ages
- 11 to 16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Trust
- DELTA ACADEMIES TRUST
- Headteacher
- Mr Joseph Spencer
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Sponsor
- Delta Academies Trust
- Constituency
- Barnsley North
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 1,200
- Pupils on roll
- 1,099
- URN
- 146320
- Local authority
- Barnsley
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01226232306
About this school
Darton Academy is a secondary academy in Barnsley. It teaches children aged 11 to 16 and has 1,099 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected Darton Academy, 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
- Outstanding
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Exam results
Key stage 4 (GCSEs)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 4 | 229 | 251 | 206 |
| Attainment 8 score | 49.8 | 48.9 | 52.1 |
| Progress 8 score | +0.35 +0.16 to +0.53 | +0.37 +0.19 to +0.55 | - |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 55% | 53.8% | 65% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 75% | 72.5% | 78.6% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate | 32% | 39.8% | 38.3% |
| English Baccalaureate average point score | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.7 |
Progress 8 is paused nationally for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 school years. Those pupils sat no key stage 2 tests during the Covid pandemic, so there is no starting point to measure progress from. A blank figure here is not missing school data.
Trends over time
How Darton 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 | 49.8 | 35.7 | 39.8 |
| 2023/24 | 48.9 | 34.7 | 39.5 |
| 2024/25 | 52.1 | 38.5 | 39 |
Department for Education KS4 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 7.9% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 7.9% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 7.3% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 1,159 |
| 2023/24 | 1,156 |
| 2024/25 | 1,114 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Darton Academy compares
Darton Academy ranked 2nd of 10 secondary schools in Barnsley for Attainment 8 in 2024/25. Its Attainment 8 score was higher than 81% of England secondary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 22% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | Attainment 8 (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 52.1 | 7.3% | 22.9% | 1,099 | — |
| Horizon Community College | 49.8 | 6.7% | 29.4% | 1,909 | 2.8 miles |
| Trinity Academy St. Edwards | — | 7.3% | 25.7% | 882 | 3.3 miles |
| Outwood Academy Carlton | 41.5 | 12.3% | 38.4% | 1,109 | 4.1 miles |
| Shelley College, A Share Academy | 51.3 | 6% | 14.2% | 1,274 | 4.9 miles |
| Kettlethorpe High School | 46.9 | 11.5% | 24.2% | 1,616 | 4.9 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)
- 22.89%
- English as an additional language
- 4.4%
- Overall absence
- 7.32%
- Persistent absence
- 21.37%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Horizon Community College2.8 miles
Secondary · Barnsley
-
Trinity Academy St. Edwards3.3 miles
Secondary · Barnsley
-
Outwood Academy Carlton4.1 miles
Secondary · Barnsley
-
Shelley College, A Share Academy4.9 miles
Secondary · Huddersfield
-
Kettlethorpe High School4.9 miles
Secondary · Wakefield
Other schools in Barnsley
Darton Academy ranks 1st of the 8 ranked secondary schools in Barnsley.
- Barnsley Academy Secondary
- Horizon Community College Secondary
- Kirk Balk Academy Secondary
- Netherwood Academy Secondary
- Outwood Academy Carlton Secondary
- Outwood Academy Shafton Secondary
- Trinity Academy St. Edwards Secondary
- 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
Common questions
- What ages does Darton Academy teach?
- Darton Academy teaches children aged 11 to 16. It is a secondary school in Barnsley.
- Who is the headteacher of Darton Academy?
- The headteacher of Darton Academy is Mr Joseph Spencer, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Darton Academy been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Darton 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 Darton Academy?
- Darton Academy has 1,099 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 11 to 16.
- Is Darton Academy full?
- Darton Academy has capacity for 1,200 pupils and 1,099 on roll (92%), so it has space against 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 Darton Academy a faith school?
- No. Darton Academy has no designated religious character.
- Is Darton Academy a selective school?
- No. Darton Academy is recorded as non-selective in the schools register.
- Is Darton Academy part of an academy trust?
- Darton Academy is part of DELTA ACADEMIES TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How have Darton Academy's results changed over recent years?
- Its Attainment 8 score was 49.8 in 2022/23 and 52.1 in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does Darton Academy compare with other schools in Barnsley?
- Darton Academy ranked 2nd of 10 secondary schools in Barnsley for Attainment 8. Its Attainment 8 score was higher than 81% of England secondary 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 Darton Academy's absence rate?
- Darton Academy's overall absence rate is 7.3% in the latest published census, above the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Darton Academy's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Darton 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.