Athersley South Primary School
Wakefield Road, Smithies, Barnsley, S71 3TP
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 3 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Trust
- EVERY CHILD MATTERS ACADEMY TRUST
- Joint Headteacher
- Mrs Emma Sanderson
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Sponsor
- Every Child Matters Academy Trust
- Constituency
- Barnsley North
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 280
- Pupils on roll
- 306
- URN
- 147717
- Local authority
- Barnsley
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01226284223
About this school
Athersley South Primary School is a primary academy in Barnsley. It teaches children aged 3 to 11 and has 306 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected Athersley South 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
Ofsted's most recent visit was a short inspection on 16 October 2024, where inspectors found that standards have been maintained. The school's last full inspection took place before September 2019, so its area grades are not part of Ofsted's current published data. Older reports are on the school's Ofsted page.
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 38 | 40 | 41 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 61% | 75% | 66% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 5% | 8% | 15% |
| Expected standard in reading | 82% | 83% | 68% |
| Expected standard in maths | 76% | 83% | 78% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 76% | 88% | 80% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 105.0 | 105.0 | 105.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 104.0 | 104.0 | 106.0 |
| Reading progress | +3.20 | - | - |
| Writing progress | +4.00 | - | - |
| Maths progress | +3.20 | - | - |
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 Athersley South 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 | 61% | 61.1% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 75% | 60.6% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 66% | 64.1% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 6.4% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 6.4% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 6.5% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 304 |
| 2023/24 | 316 |
| 2024/25 | 307 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Athersley South Primary School compares
Athersley South Primary School ranked 39th of 73 primary schools in Barnsley for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 55% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 32% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 66% | 6.5% | 40.4% | 306 | — |
| Laithes Primary School | 68% | 7.3% | 54.1% | 308 | 0.2 miles |
| Athersley North Primary School | 49% | 8.3% | 58.2% | 290 | 0.6 miles |
| Wilthorpe Primary School | 71% | 5.5% | 21.6% | 394 | 1.1 miles |
| Burton Road Primary School | 76% | 4.6% | 17.3% | 331 | 1.1 miles |
| Lift St Helen's | 62% | 5.2% | 40.2% | 183 | 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)
- 40.36%
- English as an additional language
- 4.9%
- Overall absence
- 6.47%
- Persistent absence
- 19.01%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Laithes Primary School0.2 miles
Primary · Barnsley
-
Athersley North Primary School0.6 miles
Primary · Barnsley
-
Wilthorpe Primary School1.1 miles
Primary · Barnsley
-
Burton Road Primary School1.1 miles
Primary · Barnsley
-
Lift St Helen's1.2 miles
Primary · Barnsley
Other schools in Barnsley
Athersley South Primary School ranks 30th of the 59 ranked primary schools in Barnsley.
- All Saints Academy Darfield Primary
- Athersley North 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
- Cherry Dale Primary School Primary
Common questions
- What ages does Athersley South Primary School teach?
- Athersley South Primary School teaches children aged 3 to 11. It is a primary school in Barnsley.
- Who is the joint headteacher of Athersley South Primary School?
- The joint headteacher of Athersley South Primary School is Mrs Emma Sanderson, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Athersley South Primary School been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Athersley South 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 Athersley South Primary School?
- Athersley South Primary School has 306 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 3 to 11.
- Is Athersley South Primary School full?
- Athersley South Primary School has capacity for 280 pupils and 306 on roll (109%), 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 Athersley South Primary School a faith school?
- No. Athersley South Primary School has no designated religious character.
- Does Athersley South Primary School have a nursery?
- Yes. The schools register records Athersley South Primary School as having nursery classes.
- Is Athersley South Primary School part of an academy trust?
- Athersley South 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.
- How have Athersley South Primary School's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 61% in 2022/23 and 66% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does Athersley South Primary School compare with other schools in Barnsley?
- Athersley South Primary School ranked 39th of 73 primary schools in Barnsley for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 55% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 32% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Athersley South Primary School's absence rate?
- Athersley South Primary School's overall absence rate is 6.5% in the latest published census, above the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Athersley South Primary School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Athersley South 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 10 July 2026.