Outwood Academy Carlton

  • Secondary
  • Academy
  • Ages 11 to 16
Ofsted: Good

Royston Lane, Carlton, Barnsley, S71 3EWOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

Outwood Academy Carlton is a secondary school in Barnsley for ages 11 to 16. It is one of the 95 schools in Barnsley. It ranks 7th of 8 secondary schools in Barnsley. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in January 2019.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 16 January 2019, report published 3 March 2019

Overall effectiveness
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Safeguarding
Met

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 15 October 2024

Pupils are taught to 'be good human beings' as part of the ethos at Outwood Academy Carlton. Pupils of all backgrounds and abilities are welcomed, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils are taught to be ready for the wider world when they leave school. For example, pupils are taught how to tie a tie and how to polish their shoes. The school has high ambitions for its pupils. Pupils are happy and enjoy learning. Pupils develop a thorough grounding in knowledge and skills. Pupils that attend regularly do well in examinations at the end of key stage 4. Some pupils do not attend regularly enough and this limits how well they achieve. Pupils have a strong moral code and behave well in and outside of lessons. They contribute to the wider community. For example, pupils do litter picks to tidy the local environment and support a range of charities. Pupils learn how to save lives with lessons about resuscitation techniques. Pupils enjoy a wide range of clubs such as darts, chess, cheerleading and gardening. Pupils feel safe. They are taught about local dangers such as swimming in lakes.

What the school should improve

  • Although attendance has substantially improved, a significant number of pupils are still absent from school too often. This limits the progress they make through the curriculum and their outcomes in external examinations. The school should prioritise attendance and work with the community to ensure that attendance and outcomes continue to improve.
  • Methods by which checks are made of pupil misconceptions and understanding lack consistency across the school. This means that pupils sometimes do not link ideas and knowledge together as effectively as they could. The school should ensure that there is greater consistency in checks that are made of pupils' understanding, and that this supports pupils to link their knowledge and ideas together.

Exam results

GCSE results (key stage 4), 2024/25

213 pupils in the year group

Attainment 8 score41.5

41.5, 4.6 below the England average of 46.1.

Grade 5 or above in English and maths39.9%

39.9%, 5.5 percentage points below the England average of 45.4%.

Grade 4 or above in English and maths62.9%

62.9%, 1.9 percentage points below the England average of 64.8%.

Pupils entering the EBacc22.5%

22.5%, 18 percentage points below the England average of 40.5%.

EBacc average point score3.57

3.57, 0.52 below the England average of 4.09.

Pupil numbers and mix

1,109 pupils on roll, with places for 1,100

Eligible for free school meals38%

38%, 11.5 percentage points above the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language3.8%

3.8%, 17.8 percentage points below the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support12.4%

12.4%, 2.4 percentage points below the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan7.3%

7.3%, 1.3 percentage points above the England average of 6%.

Schools near Outwood Academy Carlton

SchoolDistanceOfstedResults
Holy Trinity Catholic and Church of England School0.8 milesOfsted judgements: Requires improvement to goodAttainment 8: 37.5
Outwood Academy Shafton2 milesOfsted judgements: GoodAttainment 8: 42.0
Horizon Community College3 milesOfsted: GoodAttainment 8: 49.8
Barnsley Academy4 milesOfsted: GoodAttainment 8: 45.1
Trinity Academy St. Edwards4 milesOfsted: OutstandingNot published

School details

School type
Academy sponsor led
Sector
Academy
Trust
OUTWOOD GRANGE ACADEMIES TRUST
Age range
11 to 16
Gender
Mixed
Sixth form
No
Headteacher
Mr Paul Taylor
Address
Royston Lane, Carlton, Barnsley, S71 3EW
Local authority
Barnsley
URN
139210

School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.