Barlows Primary School

Barlows Primary is a warm, caring school where pupils feel happy and safe, behave well and are committed to values such as kindness and teamwork. Pupils have high aspirations and positive attitudes, and they achieve well. The curriculum is ambitious and well structured, including for pupils with SEND, and teachers have strong subject knowledge. Reading is a priority, with children immersed in language from Nursery and effective phonics support helping pupils become accurate, fluent readers. Pupils benefit from a wide range of wider opportunities, attendance is improving, and safeguarding is effective. Leaders have addressed past curriculum weaknesses, and current pupils are achieving well, although provisional 2024 published attainment in reading, writing and mathematics was significantly below the national average because of those historical weaknesses. The main area for improvement is assessment: in a few subjects, the school's approach to checking pupils' learning is not fully developed, so gaps in knowledge are not routinely identified and addressed. SEND support is a notable strength, with pupils identified quickly and those with complex needs receiving thoughtful, personalised support. Staff are well supported, and governors know the school well and provide effective support and challenge. This was the school's first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and a new headteacher has been appointed since the previous inspection. All key areas inspected were judged good, with no overall effectiveness grade awarded under the current framework.

Strengths

• Warm, caring school culture built on kindness and teamwork
• Pupils behave well, are polite and create a calm, purposeful atmosphere
• Pupils feel happy and safe and know where to go with concerns
• High aspirations and positive attitudes to learning
• Broad, ambitious curriculum, including for pupils with SEND
• Teachers have strong subject knowledge and build effectively on prior learning
• Pupils with SEND are identified quickly and supported well, including personalised support for complex needs
• Reading is prioritised, with rich language from Nursery and a confident phonics start in Reception
• Effective reading support helps pupils catch up and become accurate, fluent readers
• Respectful behaviour around school, supported by a motivating rewards system
• Attendance is a high priority and is improving, with persistent absence declining
• Wide range of wider development opportunities designed for equal access
• Pupils learn about different cultures and beliefs through trips and visitors
• Pupils take on responsibilities and value their contribution
• Staff benefit from training and support; governors provide effective support and challenge
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• Assessment practice is not fully developed in a few subjects, so gaps in pupils' learning are not routinely identified or addressed.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Barlows Primary School attended 93.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 19.6% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.5% of pupils at Barlows Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Barlows Primary School had 16.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 38.4% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 22.4% of pupils at Barlows Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.9% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Barlows Primary School received £7,466 and spent £7,151 for each of its 397 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £329,000 (£830 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

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What is Barlows Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Barlows Primary School is Good, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was Barlows Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Barlows Primary School was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does Barlows Primary School have?

Barlows Primary School has 406 pupils on roll.

What age range does Barlows Primary School cover?

Barlows Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Barlows Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 78% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Barlows Primary School?

Barlows Primary School is at Barlows Lane, Fazakerley, Liverpool, Merseyside, L9 9EH.