Barnston Primary School

Type Primary / Community school
Age Range 4-11
Religion Does not apply
Address Sandham Grove
Heswall
Wirral
Merseyside
CH60 1XW
Phone 01513425229
Reference Number 105030

Barnston Primary School demonstrates a strong performance overall, showcasing notable success in providing a safe and supportive environment for its students. The school has shown consistent achievement above national averages in various subjects, with most pupils making secure progress throughout the curriculum. However, while pupils have generally excelled, there are concerns regarding the teaching of writing knowledge and the feedback provided to students, which could be improved to close gaps in learning more effectively. Leadership has been stable, especially following recent changes, and morale among staff is reported to be high, indicating a positive school culture.

General Makeup

Number of pupils 302
Boy/Girl ratio Boys: 50%
Girls: 50%
Percentage of students eligible for free school meals 2.6%
Percentage of students where English is not their first language 2%

Class Sizes

Average size of one teacher classes 27.5
Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher 23.3
Average size of Key Stage 2 classes taught by one teacher 29.7

Year Groups

Year Boys Girls Total
1 27 18 45
2 19 27 46
3 21 23 44
4 19 26 45
5 25 24 49
6 22 18 40

Ethnicities

Ethnicity Percentage
White, British 90.1%
White, Other 2%
White & Asian 2%
Asian, Other 1.7%
White & Black (African) 1.3%
African 0.7%
Mixed, Other 0.7%
Indian 0.3%
Unclassified 0.3%
Pakistani 0.3%

Overall Ofsted Rating Expected standard
 >  Leadership & Governance Expected standard
 >  Personal Development & Wellbeing Expected standard
 >  Achievement Expected standard
 >  Attendance & Behaviour Expected standard
 >  Curriculum & Teaching Expected standard
 >  Inclusion Expected standard
 >  Early Years Expected standard
Last Report Date 03 Mar 2026
Date Report
03 Mar 2026 School inspection
30 Jun 2021 School inspection
19 Apr 2016 Short inspection
28 Mar 2014 Interim assessment
11 Apr 2011 Full inspection
08 Jul 2008 Full inspection
20 Sep 2004 Full inspection

Strengths

  • Pupils consistently achieve well above national averages in key assessments.
  • Strong commitment to safeguarding, ensuring a safe learning environment.
  • Broad and balanced curriculum developed with clear progression.
  • Effective early reading instruction with a strong focus on phonics.
  • High staff morale and supportive leadership amidst recent changes.
  • Enrichment opportunities broaden students' experiences beyond academics.

Areas for Improvement

  • Inconsistencies in the quality of feedback that may slow progress for some pupils.
  • Gaps in pupils' writing knowledge that are not addressed rapidly.
  • Lack of precision in the effectiveness of adaptations to learning for some pupils.
  • Need for stronger oversight from the governing body regarding leader effectiveness.

How many students meet the standards

Reading, Writing & Maths School Score Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Pupils meeting the expected standard 82%
Pupils meeting a higher standard 29%

Average Scaled Score

Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.

Subject School Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Reading 109
Maths 107

Progress Scores

A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.

Metric School Score Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Reading 2.6
Writing 2.7
Maths 2.9

How many students meet the standards

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Average Scaled Score

Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.

Sample

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Progress Scores

A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.

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2025 Admissions

Number of Applications Number of Offers
First Preference
Second Preference 27 2
Third Preference 21 1
From another Local Authority 1 1

Previous Years

Sample

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Name Distance
Gayton Primary School
Gayton Road, Heswall, Wirral, Merseyside, CH60 8PZ
0.87 miles
Heswall Primary School
Whitfield Lane, Heswall, Wirral, Merseyside, CH60 7SD
0.9 miles
Heswall St Peter's CofE Primary School
Thurstaston Road, Heswall, Wirral, Merseyside, CH60 4SA
1.08 miles
Thornton Hough Primary School
St George's Way, Thornton Hough, Wirral, Merseyside, CH63 1JJ
1.32 miles
Stanley School
Greenbank Drive, Pensby, Wirral, Merseyside, CH61 5UE
1.48 miles
Pensby Primary School
Greenbank Drive, Pensby, Wirral, Merseyside, CH61 5UE
1.58 miles
Ladymount Catholic Primary School
Portal Road, Pensby, Wirral, Merseyside, CH61 5YD
1.7 miles
Parkgate Primary School
Brooklands Road, Parkgate, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 6SW
1.79 miles
Thingwall Primary School
Pensby Road, Thingwall, Wirral, Merseyside, CH61 7UG
2.37 miles
Neston Primary School
Burton Road, Little Neston, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 9RE
2.63 miles
St Winefride's Catholic Primary School
Mellock Lane, Little Neston, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 9RW
2.73 miles
Irby Primary School
Coombe Road, Irby, Wirral, Merseyside, CH61 4UR
2.76 miles
Higher Bebington Junior School
Mill Road, Higher Bebington, Wirral, Merseyside, CH63 8QE
2.9 miles
Brackenwood Junior School
Norbury Avenue, Bebington, Wirral, Merseyside, CH63 2HH
3.08 miles
Thurstaston Dawpool CofE Primary School
School Lane, Thurstaston, Wirral, Merseyside, CH61 0HH
3.15 miles
Woodfall Primary and Nursery School
Woodfall Lane, Little Neston, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 4BT
3.15 miles
Prenton Primary School
Bramwell Avenue, Prenton, Merseyside, CH43 0RQ
3.16 miles
Stanton Road Primary School
Stanton Road, Bebington, Wirral, Merseyside, CH63 3HW
3.2 miles
Town Lane Infant School
Town Lane, Bebington, Wirral, Merseyside, CH63 8LD
3.2 miles
Brackenwood Infant School
Pulford Road, Bebington, Wirral, Merseyside, CH63 2HN
3.21 miles
Name Distance
Neston High School
Raby Park Road, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 9NH
2.05 miles
Pensby High School
Irby Road, Heswall, Wirral, Merseyside, CH61 6XN
2.05 miles
Wirral Grammar School for Girls
Heath Road, Bebington, Wirral, Merseyside, CH63 3AF
3.1 miles
Wirral Grammar School for Boys
Cross Lane, Bebington, Wirral, Merseyside, CH63 3AQ
3.13 miles
Co-op Academy Bebington
Higher Bebington Road, Bebington, Wirral, Merseyside, CH63 2PS
3.26 miles
Foxfield School
New Hey Road, Woodchurch, Merseyside, CH49 5LF
3.41 miles
Meadowside School
Pool Lane, Woodchurch, Wirral, Merseyside, CH49 5LA
3.53 miles
Woodchurch High School
Carr Bridge Road, Woodchurch, Wirral, Merseyside, CH49 7NG
3.6 miles
Horizons Independent School
60 Mendip Road, Birkenhead, Cheshire, CH42 8NU
3.67 miles
Prenton High School for Girls
Hesketh Avenue, Rock Ferry, Birkenhead, Merseyside, CH42 6RR
3.77 miles
St John Plessington Catholic College
Old Chester Road, Bebington, Wirral, Merseyside, CH63 7LF
3.79 miles
Ridgeway High School
Noctorum Avenue, Noctorum, Prenton, Merseyside, CH43 9EB
3.93 miles
South Wirral High School
Plymyard Avenue, Eastham, Wirral, Merseyside, CH62 8EH
4.13 miles
Birkenhead School
58 Beresford Road, Prenton, CH43 2JD
4.33 miles
Upton Hall School FCJ
Upton, Wirral, Merseyside, CH49 6LJ
4.39 miles
Utopia
The Vikes, 40 Thorsway, Rock Ferry, Merseyside, CH42 1NW
4.44 miles
Birkenhead High School Academy
86 Devonshire Place, Prenton, Merseyside, CH43 1TY
4.58 miles
Calday Grange Grammar School
Grammar School Lane, West Kirby, Wirral, Merseyside, CH48 8GG
4.68 miles
St Anselm's College
Manor Hill, Prenton, Merseyside, CH43 1UQ
4.73 miles
Birkenhead Park School
Park Road South, Birkenhead, Merseyside, CH43 4UY
4.85 miles
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