Bradfield Dungworth Primary School Review 2026: High attainment in a rural Sheffield setting

A small rural primary where day-to-day routines matter, reading is treated as core business, and the setting shapes school life. The buildings date back to 1841, and the site has been extended in practical ways, including a 200 square metre hall with a production kitchen, and an eco classroom called The Burrow for outdoor learning and small-group support.

Academic outcomes are a clear strength. In the latest published key stage 2 data, 87.3% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, well above the England average of 62%. This is a school that sits well above England average, placing it in the top 10% of primary schools in England (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data).

Leadership and safeguarding are part of the school’s public identity, with Mr Liam Mitchell listed as headteacher in current official and school information.

Scale is a defining feature. With five mixed-age or single-year classes in 2025 to 2026, the school operates more like a tight-knit team than a large institution, and pupils are likely to be taught by staff who know siblings and family circumstances well. That structure can suit children who like familiarity, predictable adults, and a calm pace to transitions across year groups.

The rural context is not just marketing copy. The school describes itself as serving a wide, countryside catchment, much of it within the Peak District National Park, with many pupils travelling several miles and some using escorted minibuses. For families, that has two implications. First, friendships can be geographically spread out, so playdates often require planning. Second, the school day can include more travel time than an urban primary, which can be tiring for younger pupils but also widens the peer mix beyond one immediate neighbourhood.

Behaviour expectations are framed in simple, child-friendly terms. The most recent inspection describes pupils as polite, feeling safe, and taking the idea of kindness seriously, including a set of “golden rules” and a courtesy cup that rewards considerate behaviour. This kind of concrete, visible behaviour culture often helps younger pupils understand what good conduct looks like without overcomplicating it.

The physical environment supports the “small school, big ambitions” feel. Beyond the historic core and classrooms, the school highlights an adventure play area, a small garden, and an Arty Nest, plus The Burrow eco classroom built in summer 2020 for outdoor learning, wellbeing support, and small group work. These are not luxury facilities, but they are thoughtfully chosen spaces that make it easier to run nurture-style interventions, outdoor projects, and practical enrichment without needing to borrow rooms.

The key stage 2 picture is unusually strong for a small primary.

Combined expected standard (reading, writing and maths)

In 2024, 87.3% reached the expected standard, compared with an England average of 62%.

Higher standard

43.3% achieved the higher standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with an England average of 8%. For families, that suggests the school is not only getting most pupils over the expected threshold, it is also stretching a substantial group beyond it.

Scaled scores and subject specifics

Reading and maths scaled scores were both 109, with grammar, punctuation and spelling at 110. Expected standard rates were 85% for reading, 100% for maths, and 85% for GPS, with science at 100%. Taken together, these figures point to consistency rather than one standout subject carrying the rest.

Rankings context (FindMySchool)

Ranked 767th in England and 5th in Sheffield for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data). That sits well above England average, placing it in the top 10% of primary schools in England.

A sensible way to use these numbers is comparative, not absolute. If you are weighing several Sheffield primaries, the FindMySchool Local Hub comparison tools can help you view the same measures side by side, without relying on anecdote.

Reading is treated as the gateway skill. The inspection describes early reading as prioritised from the start of school, with a consistent phonics approach and quick identification of pupils who need extra help. The reported end point is that most pupils become confident and fluent readers by the end of Year 2, which matters because it unlocks the wider curriculum by key stage 2.

On the curriculum side, the school’s English framework is text-led, using high-quality books as the driver for units that typically run six to ten weeks. That structure often works well in small schools because it gives staff a clear spine for planning while still leaving room to adjust sequences when classes contain mixed ages or pupils move between single-year and mixed-year groups.

Personal development is designed deliberately rather than left to chance. Leaders describe the PSHE and relationships programme as carefully planned to ensure pupils meet key content at the right time, and the inspection highlights personal development as a priority, while also identifying gaps in some pupils’ knowledge of fundamental British values and protected characteristics. In practice, that tends to translate into more explicit teaching and revisiting of these themes, especially for older juniors who need to be ready for secondary school expectations.

The rural context affects curriculum choices too. The inspection notes leaders’ awareness that pupils’ wider experiences can be shaped by rural life, and that the school aims to prepare pupils for the wider world beyond primary. For families, this is often where trips, visitors, and purposeful use of Sheffield as a learning resource become important, even if day-to-day life is village-based.

Transition is partly about geography and partly about admissions rules.

For many pupils, the most straightforward pathway is the designated linked secondary shown in Sheffield’s secondary transfer guide: Bradfield School is listed as the linked secondary for this primary (feeder status in the city’s oversubscription criteria). That can be helpful where families want continuity of peer group and a simpler travel pattern, although admissions rules still apply and places are never guaranteed purely because of feeder status.

Because this is a wide rural catchment, it is also common for families to consider alternatives based on transport, childcare logistics, and siblings already in other parts of Sheffield. The council’s catchment checker is worth using early, particularly if you are moving house or are near a boundary, as catchment does not automatically mean an offer.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Admission is therefore about the coordinated process, your priorities under the oversubscription rules, and local demand.

Demand (Reception entry route)

The latest available admissions data shows 38 applications for 13 offers, which equates to 2.92 applications per place. The subscription status is listed as oversubscribed. For a small primary, that level of demand typically means you should treat admission as competitive, and plan preferences with a realistic second and third option.

Application route and timing (September 2026 entry)

Sheffield’s primary admissions guide for 2026 to 2027 sets out the citywide timeline. The closing date is 15 January 2026, with offers made on 01 April 2026. The same guide notes the application information is typically issued in October 2025.

Catchment and distance

The school describes itself as having a very large primary catchment area for Sheffield, with many families living miles away. The dataset available here does not include a “last distance offered” figure for this school, so it is especially important to check how the council applies distance and priority categories in the current year’s arrangements, and to use accurate mapping rather than rough estimates. If you are shortlisting, FindMySchool’s Map Search can help you measure home-to-school distance precisely, which is often where offers are decided for oversubscribed schools.

Visiting before you apply

Rather than publishing a fixed set of open days, the school invites families to arrange a visit to get a feel for the setting.

A small school can make pastoral support either excellent or overstretched, depending on systems. Here, the most recent inspection points to consistent relationships and a calm culture, with bullying described as rare and dealt with quickly when it occurs. That matters because small cohorts can intensify social dynamics, so speedy, confident adult intervention is important.

The site design supports wellbeing work in practical ways. The Burrow eco classroom is explicitly positioned as space for outdoor learning, emotional health and wellbeing support, and small group work, which often enables nurture-style provision without pulling pupils into corridors or improvised corners.

The Ofsted inspection also describes a strong culture of safeguarding, including clear staff reporting processes and teaching pupils how to stay safe online and offline.

For a rural primary, enrichment often needs to be planned around transport and the reality that some pupils are on longer journeys. The school’s approach is to run after-school clubs in half-term blocks, changing them regularly, and aiming for every child to attend at least one club and one sporting competition during the year. This matters because rotating blocks reduce the risk that the same confident pupils dominate opportunities term after term, and it can help quieter children find something that fits.

Wraparound and clubs, as a package

The school runs breakfast provision from 07:45 and an after-school club that runs until 18:00 Monday to Thursday. Breakfast club is priced at £5 per session, and after-school club at £9 per session, with pupils able to join any after-school clubs running at no cost if they already have a wraparound place. For working families, this kind of joined-up structure can be the difference between a school being logistically possible or not, particularly when the catchment is geographically wide.

Named activities and sport detail

Sports premium information sets out the use of specialist coaches for after-school provision, including basketball, taekwondo, cheerleading, multi-sport, badminton, tennis, and football. A small school can struggle to offer this breadth without external coaching support, so this is a practical way to widen experiences beyond what a small staff team can cover alone.

Outdoor learning is a recurring thread. The Burrow supports this directly, and the adventure play area and garden spaces provide day-to-day scope for practical science, art, and problem-solving activities that are often harder to deliver well in schools with limited outdoor infrastructure.

School day

gates open at 08:40; the school day starts at 08:50. Reception and key stage 1 finish at 15:25; key stage 2 finishes at 15:30.

Wraparound

breakfast provision runs from 07:45; after-school club runs until 18:00 Monday to Thursday.

Transport

the school notes escorted minibuses for some pupils, reflecting the wide rural catchment and the reality that not all families can walk safely.

• Competition for places. With 2.92 applications per place and an oversubscribed status in the most recent data, admission is a genuine hurdle, especially for families outside priority categories.

• Curriculum consistency is a live improvement area. The latest inspection highlighted that teaching does not always help pupils connect new learning to prior knowledge, which can limit depth of understanding in some subjects. Families should ask how leaders have tightened curriculum sequencing since that review.

• Personal development coverage needs to be secure for every pupil. The inspection also identified gaps for some pupils around fundamental British values and protected characteristics. If this matters strongly to you, ask what has changed in assemblies, PSHE, and wider curriculum coverage.

• A wide rural catchment changes the social shape of school life. Friendship groups can be spread across villages, and travel can be longer than many urban primaries. That can suit some families well, but it is worth thinking through the practicalities early.

Strong key stage 2 outcomes, an intentionally structured approach to reading, and a setting that makes outdoor learning feel normal rather than occasional. Best suited to families who want a high-attaining small primary, are comfortable with rural logistics, and value a school day where relationships and behaviour expectations are clear. Securing admission is where the difficulty lies, so treat the application as one that needs careful planning.