The Catholic Church was the first provider of schools and universities in England and continues to be a significant provider of education today. All the earliest schools were cathedral and monastic schools established from the late sixth century onwards. This growing network was joined by schools based around the larger collegiate churches. Oxford and Cambridge Universities were primarily religious institutions before the English Reformation and their curriculum was heavily influenced by the Catholic Church.

During the Reformation in the 16th century, the monasteries were suppressed. The Catholic Church’s role as a provider of public education serving England and Wales was forced to go underground or abroad, often to France, until the 1800s.

By the early 1800s most of the English Catholic schools which had been based in France to avoid persecution had returned to England. The  Catholic hierarchy of was restored in England and Wales in 1850. Because the Church viewed education as so important they decided that the education of the poor was to be their first priority, often building schools before churches.

In the year 1800 there was a revival of Catholicism in Barnsley and William Rigby a local weaver was part of a group of about 40 catholics living in the Barnsley area. He visited the Royal Oak, a local inn and spoke to a stranger, found out he was a French Catholic priest who had fled from revolutionary France who was tutoring the children of John Payne of Newhall Hall Wath.

The arrival of this French émigré priest, the Rev. Vincent Louis Dennis was an important development in the revival of Catholicism in Barnsley he readily agreed to say Mass hear Confessions and Baptise children. Father Dennis started a mission, with Mass celebrated in private houses until 1804.

Before Holy Rood Church and School were opened church services and a school were provided in a variety of locations in Barnsley. The first premises used were over a stable in Quiet John’s Yard. As the congregation increased church services and school provision moved to Nelson Street and then to Dodworth Road.

The foundation stone of Holy Rood school was laid on August 17th 1858 by Joseph Lock and the new school opened on May 13th 1859. In 1903 the Sisters of Mercy opened a mother house in Barnsley and supported the parish community work including teaching in the catholic school. The school taught children of all ages who were able to attend.

In the 1950’s Holy Rood Church still had a primary and secondary school on the Holy Rood Church site. However the school was no longer big enough to accommodate the primary and secondary pupils. The building was also had structural issues. The Diocese decided that a new secondary school replacement was needed. The location of the new school was Carlton Road in Athersley and the school was given a new name, St Michaels Catholic Secondary School. The new school was officially opened on  31.5.1960 by The Right Reverend G.P. Dwyer D.D Ph.D Bishop of Leeds.

During the 1999’s discussions took place between the Catholic and Church of England and the outcome was that at on the 20.10.99 principles for working together going forward were agreed by Bishop John Rawsthorne Roman Catholic Diocese of Hallam and Bishop I G E McCulloch, Anglican Diocese of Wakefield.

Following these discussions the title St Michaels Catholic High School formally closed on 31.8.2001 the school was renamed St Michael’s Catholic and Church of England High School from 1.8.2001.

All buildings have a ‘life span’ and In early 2000 St Michaels was deemed to be structurally unfit for purpose. At the same time St Dominics Catholic primary school, which was on the same site as St Michael’s, and Holy Cross local Church of England primary school which was located on the same road were also starting to have structural issues. A solution had to be found. It was agreed by the Diocese of Hallam and the Anglican Diocese of Leeds that the solution was to build a joint Catholic and Church of England through school.

In 2012 Holy Trinity was formed by merging St Michaels Catholic and Church of England High School, Holy Cross Deanery Church of England Primary School and St Dominics Catholic Primary School. The school joined Hallam Schools Partnership Academy Trust in 2018.

In 2022 in response to the vision of the Bishop of Hallam for all the schools in the Diocese  to be part of a Catholic Multi-Academy Trust (CMAT) St Clare and St Francis CMAT’s were formed.  At the outset Holy Trinity staff and governors were fully supportive of joining the St Clare MAT but hit a legal issue, the building is a private finance build and legal matters had to be resolved. April 2024 – Holy Trinity joined the St Clare CMAT.