Darfield Upperwood Primary School
Encyclopedia
Darfield Upperwood Primary School is a 4–11 community primary school
located in Darfield
, Barnsley
, England
. First opened on
5 November 1973, it is situated in an old mining
community with changing patterns of employment. Most of the around 260 pupils
are White British
with
a small number of settled Gypsy/Roma pupils on the roll. Its absence rate of 3.6% is notably better than the national average of 5.3%. Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council described it as "a good school with a number of outstanding features".
. Beacon schools are schools which have been identified as amongst the best performing in the UK and represent examples of successful practice which are to be brought to the attention of the rest of the education service.
In the Ofsted report
, published in November 2006, the school was rated Good, point 2 on a four point scale, with the following aspects being assessed as Outstanding:
The performance in English, Mathematics and Science are all above the national average but, notably, the trend has been above the national average for the last four year and well above for the last three.
on 16 December 2002 by The Minister for School Standards, David Miliband
, who said "I know from my research for the debate that there is already a beacon school in Barnsley, Darfield Upperwood primary, whose outstanding performance has delivered a better education not just for its own pupils, but for other pupils in the area.".
that a special investigation by council audit
ors into the accounts at the school raised questions about the way it was using public money. Trips to Australia and Austria, stays in expensive hotels and the purchase of clothes for staff were among the items investigated. Though the Local Education Authority
was happy that Mr Smith's motivation had been "totally genuine" and his intentions were "totally honourable", there was a request from the National Union of Teachers
for a full independent inquiry.
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
located in Darfield
Darfield, South Yorkshire
Darfield is a village within the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England. It lies east of the town of Barnsley. It had a population of 8,066 at the 2001 UK Census.-History:...
, Barnsley
Barnsley
Barnsley is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Dearne, north of the city of Sheffield, south of Leeds and west of Doncaster. Barnsley is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, of which Barnsley is the largest and...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. First opened on
5 November 1973, it is situated in an old mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
community with changing patterns of employment. Most of the around 260 pupils
Student
A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...
are White British
Demographics of the United Kingdom
This article is about the demographic features of the population of the United Kingdom, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population....
with
a small number of settled Gypsy/Roma pupils on the roll. Its absence rate of 3.6% is notably better than the national average of 5.3%. Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council described it as "a good school with a number of outstanding features".
Award
Darfield is a Beacon SchoolBeacon School
Beacon School was a government designation awarded to outstanding primary and secondary schools in England and Wales from 1998 to August 2005. The Beacon Schools programme identified schools that were examples of good practice and funded those schools to enable them to build partnerships with each...
. Beacon schools are schools which have been identified as amongst the best performing in the UK and represent examples of successful practice which are to be brought to the attention of the rest of the education service.
Academic standards
This is a particularly well performing school with academic standards that are not only high but steadily improving.In the Ofsted report
Office for Standards in Education
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
, published in November 2006, the school was rated Good, point 2 on a four point scale, with the following aspects being assessed as Outstanding:
- How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being?
- The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage
The performance in English, Mathematics and Science are all above the national average but, notably, the trend has been above the national average for the last four year and well above for the last three.
Hansard
The School was complimented in the House of CommonsBritish House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
on 16 December 2002 by The Minister for School Standards, David Miliband
David Miliband
David Wright Miliband is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for South Shields since 2001, and was the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from 2007 to 2010. He is the elder son of the late Marxist theorist Ralph Miliband...
, who said "I know from my research for the debate that there is already a beacon school in Barnsley, Darfield Upperwood primary, whose outstanding performance has delivered a better education not just for its own pupils, but for other pupils in the area.".
Financial controversy
In March 2007 it was revealed by the Yorkshire PostYorkshire Post
The Yorkshire Post is a daily broadsheet newspaper, published in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England by Yorkshire Post Newspapers, a company owned by Johnston Press...
that a special investigation by council audit
Audit
The general definition of an audit is an evaluation of a person, organization, system, process, enterprise, project or product. The term most commonly refers to audits in accounting, but similar concepts also exist in project management, quality management, and energy conservation.- Accounting...
ors into the accounts at the school raised questions about the way it was using public money. Trips to Australia and Austria, stays in expensive hotels and the purchase of clothes for staff were among the items investigated. Though the Local Education Authority
Local Education Authority
A local education authority is a local authority in England and Wales that has responsibility for education within its jurisdiction...
was happy that Mr Smith's motivation had been "totally genuine" and his intentions were "totally honourable", there was a request from the National Union of Teachers
National Union of Teachers
The National Union of Teachers is a trade union for school teachers in England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. It is a member of the Trades Union Congress...
for a full independent inquiry.