Barley Close Community Primary School

Barley Close Community Primary School is currently graded as 'Requires Improvement' following its latest inspection in May 2024. Although the school has made strides in curriculum development since the previous inspection, it still faces challenges in effectively sequencing and evaluating its educational programs. While most pupils enjoy their school experience and feel safe, issues such as low attendance and some disengagement during lessons remain significant concerns. The leadership team is working to enhance the overall quality of education and personal development for all students.

Strengths

• Pupils enjoy school and feel safe.
• Strong focus on communication and language in the early years curriculum.
• Well-established routines and high expectations in Reception Year.
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• The personal development curriculum is comprehensive and prepares pupils well for the future.

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum developments are at an early stage and do not yet support knowledge building effectively.
• Low attendance rates are a significant issue contributing to missed learning.
• Some pupils struggle to concentrate and disengage due to the curriculum's lack of ambition.

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 Close Community Primary School attended 93.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 20.0% 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, 0.8% of pupils at Barley Close Community 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 Close Community Primary School had 17.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 8.5% 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, 6.8% of pupils at Barley Close Community Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.8% 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 Close Community Primary School received £8,703 and spent £9,370 for each of its 207 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £89,000 (£428 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 Bristol · South Gloucestershire local authority: places and applications

What is Barley Close Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Barley Close Community Primary School is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in June 2024.

When was Barley Close Community Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Barley Close Community Primary School was last inspected in June 2024.

How many pupils does Barley Close Community Primary School have?

Barley Close Community Primary School has 207 pupils on roll.

What age range does Barley Close Community Primary School cover?

Barley Close Community Primary School for pupils aged 5 to 11.

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

In 2025, 47% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Barley Close Community Primary School?

Barley Close Community Primary School is at Barley Close, Mangotsfield, Bristol, BS16 9DL.