Athersley

Summary

Athersley (E02001515) is part of Barnsley local authority (view on map). Athersley has an approximate population of 9,900 people, of which 22% are children 15 years old and under. It is classified as "urban: nearer to a major town or city".

Athersley neighbours Royston West, Royston East & Carlton, Mapplewell & Staincross, Monk Bretton, Honeywell, and Wilthorpe & Barugh Green.

Headlines

  • 65% of children are living in low-income families, ranking it among the 10% most deprived regarding income deprivation among children in England – see more.
  • 48% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, placing it in the top 10% of all areas in England – see more.
  • 8% of pupils have an EHC plan, placing it in the top 10% of all areas in England – see more.
Guidance and data sources

Local area pages are based on the middle-layer super output areas (MSOAs) distributed across the country. MSOAs comprise between 2,000 and 6,000 households and have a resident population of, generally, between 5,000 and 15,000 people. MSOAs fit within local authorities. For each area, descriptive statistics are compared with local authority and national averages. For more information about MSOAs, please visit the Office for National Statistics website.

The data displayed is sourced from:

Deprivation

Athersley is the most deprived area in Barnsley (out of 30) with 65% of children living in low-income families, compared to 44% across Barnsley and 38% nationally.

65% of children are living in low-income families, ranking it among the 10% most deprived regarding income deprivation among children in England.

Data source

State-funded pupil characteristics

Information acquired from the school census.

Free school meals

In Athersley, 48% of state-funded pupils are eligible for free school meals, compared to 30% in Barnsley and 27% nationally.

48% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, placing it in the top 10% of all areas in England.

Contents

Percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals

Table showing the percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals

% in Athersley % in Barnsley % in England
Eligible for free school meals 48% 30% 27%
Not eligible for free school meals 52% 70% 73%

Data source

Special educational needs

In Athersley, 22% of pupils in state-funded settings have special educational needs (SEN), compared to 19% in Barnsley, and 19% nationally.

This includes the number of pupils with an education, health and care (EHC) plan and the number of pupils with SEN support.

8% of pupils have an EHC plan, placing it in the top 10% of all areas in England.

Contents

Percentage of pupils with special educational needs in schools

Table showing the percentage of pupils with special educational needs in schools

% in Athersley % in Barnsley % in England
No special educational needs 77% 81% 81%
Receiving special educational needs support 14% 13% 14%
With an education, health, and care plan (EHCP) 8% 6% 5%

Data source

Ethnicity

In Athersley, 7% of pupils are from a minority ethnic background, compared to 10% in Barnsley, and 33% nationally.

Percentages may not sum to 100%, due to small values being suppressed.

Contents

Percentage of pupils by major ethnic groups

Table

% in Athersley % in Barnsley % in England
White 92% 91% 67%
Asian 1% 2% 14%
Black 1% 3% 7%
Mixed 4% 3% 7%
Other 1% 1% 3%
Not known 1% 1% 2%

Data source

English as an additional language

The percentage of pupils in Athersley with English as an additional language is 9%, compared with 9% in Barnsley, and 22% nationally.

Numbers may not sum to 100%, due to a small number of pupils with an unclassified language.

Contents

Percentage of pupils with English as an additional language

Table

% in Athersley % in Barnsley % in England
Known or believed to be other than English 9% 9% 22%
Known or believed to be English 91% 91% 78%

Data source

Provider information

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Registered childcare providers

Athersley has 7 registered childcare providers.

Type Number in Athersley
All childcare providers 7
Childminders 4
Pre-school/day nursery/out-of-school care 3

There have been no inspections of childcare providers in Athersley since the introduction of the renewed education inspection framework in November 2025.

Data source

State-funded schools

Athersley has 6 state-funded schools.

Type Number in Athersley
All state-funded schools 6
Nursery schools 0
Primary and all-through schools 4
Secondary and all-through schools 1
Special schools 1
Registered alternative provision 1

There have been no inspections of schools in Athersley since the introduction of the renewed education inspection framework in November 2025.

Data sources: