Waterton Newstead Academy is an independent special school in Barnsley for children and young people aged 4 to 11.
- Ages 4–11
- 70 pupils
- Ofsted: Good
School details
- Type
- Independent special school
- Ages
- 4 to 11
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 70 (places for 65)
- Headteacher
- Mrs Laura Thresh
- Opened
- 26 June 2023
- Council
- Barnsley
- School reference (URN)
- 149725
How to get a place
4 steps, starting with an EHC plan
- An EHC plan
Places at schools like this usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. If your child doesn’t have one yet, you can ask the council for an assessment yourself.
- Visit and ask questions
See whether the school feels right and whether it can meet your child’s needs. Our list of questions below can help.
- Ask for the school to be named
Tell the council that looks after the plan (often Barnsley council) that this is the school you want, and ask them to consult it.
- An offer, and the council’s agreement
As an independent school not approved under Section 41, it doesn’t have to accept a place: the school has to offer one, and the council has to agree to name it in the plan.
Questions to ask when you visit
8 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them on the day.
Ofsted
Rated Good, July 2024
Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in July 2024.
- Quality of educationGood
- Behaviour and attitudesOutstanding
- Personal developmentGood
- Leadership and managementGood
- SafeguardingEffective
Independent school standards: all standards met.
Contact and getting there
Newstead Road, Athersley, Barnsley, S71 3NA
Loading the map…
Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
Email me these details
The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- Laithes Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted report card (2026) 0.4 miles
- Springwell Special Academy Special school · Ages 5–16 · Ofsted: Good 1.2 miles
- Springwell Alternative Academy Alternative provision · Ages 4–16 · Ofsted: Good 1.2 miles
By need in Barnsley: Autism (8) · Speech and language (7) · SEMH (4) · Severe learning (4) · Moderate learning (3) · Dyslexia and SpLD (3) · Hearing (3) · Vision (3) · Physical (3) · PMLD (2) · Multi-sensory (2)
Questions about Waterton Newstead Academy
How do I get a place at Waterton Newstead Academy?
There’s no catchment area or application round. Places usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan: ask the council that looks after the plan to consult Waterton Newstead Academy. As an independent school not approved under Section 41, it has to offer a place and the council has to agree to name it.
What ages does Waterton Newstead Academy take?
Aged 4 to 11, boys and girls.
What is Waterton Newstead Academy’s Ofsted rating?
There’s no overall grade to show. Read the school’s latest inspection report on the Ofsted website.
Where is Waterton Newstead Academy?
Newstead Road, Athersley, Barnsley, S71 3NA, in Barnsley.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.