Barley Mow Primary School

Barley Mow Primary School is maintaining its status as a good school, demonstrating a caring and supportive environment where positive relationships between staff and students thrive. Pupils feel safe and are eager to engage in their learning, especially in subjects like mathematics and history, thanks to the effective teaching strategies employed by a committed staff. The school's initiative, 'Our School Pledge', focuses on providing enriching experiences that enhance learning and promote personal development. However, the school acknowledges that the curriculum for writing requires further improvement to match the successes seen in other subjects such as reading and mathematics.

Strengths

• Positive relationships between staff and pupils
• Inclusive support for pupils with SEND
• Strong focus on students' wider development and enrichment opportunities
• Effective phonics and early reading programs
• Well-managed curriculum reviews that consider teacher workload

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum for writing is not as well established as other subjects
• Writing outcomes need to improve to match those in reading and mathematics

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 Barley Mow Primary School attended 92.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 22.1% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Barley Mow Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were 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 Barley Mow Primary School had 16.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 20.4% 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, 16.1% of pupils at Barley Mow Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.2% 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 Barley Mow Primary School received £8,566 and spent £8,581 for each of its 152 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £147,000 (-£971 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).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Chester Le Street · Gateshead local authority: places and applications

What is Barley Mow Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Barley Mow Primary School is Good, from an inspection in March 2024.

When was Barley Mow Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Barley Mow Primary School was last inspected in March 2024.

How many pupils does Barley Mow Primary School have?

Barley Mow Primary School has 155 pupils on roll.

What age range does Barley Mow Primary School cover?

Barley Mow Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 57% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Barley Mow Primary School?

Barley Mow Primary School is at Pembroke Avenue, Barley Mow, Birtley, Chester le Street, County Durham, DH3 2DJ.