Downs Barn School

Downs Barn School is performing well overall, achieving a 'Good' rating across most domains. The school fosters a supportive and inclusive environment, promoting strong values among students who exhibit positive behavior and attitudes. Their commitment to cultural diversity and parent partnerships enriches the school community, providing students with a sense of belonging and memorable learning experiences. The curriculum and teaching methods are effective, especially in early reading, and the personal development of pupils is notably outstanding. However, challenges remain in certain subject areas like history and art, where inconsistencies in checking pupils' knowledge may hinder some learners from reaching their full potential. Attendance, while improving, still sees a small number of pupils missing school regularly, which similarly impacts their educational outcomes. The school leadership is focused on addressing these areas to further enhance student achievement.

Strengths

• High commitment to inclusion and diversity
• Strong partnerships with parents and carers
• Effective phonics teaching
• Engaging early years environment
• Wide range of extra-curricular activities
• Positive and respectful pupil behavior
• Ambitious curriculum designed and sequenced thoughtfully

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistencies in checking essential knowledge in some subjects
• A small number of pupils do not attend school as regularly as they should

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 Downs Barn School attended 92.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 29.5% 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 Downs Barn 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 Downs Barn School had 20.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 21.3% 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, 11.5% of pupils at Downs Barn School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 0.0% 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 Downs Barn School received £8,431 and spent £8,176 for each of its 87 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £73,000 (£847 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 Milton Keynes · Milton Keynes local authority: places and applications

What is Downs Barn School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Downs Barn School is Good, from an inspection in March 2024.

When was Downs Barn School last inspected by Ofsted?

Downs Barn School was last inspected in March 2024.

How many pupils does Downs Barn School have?

Downs Barn School has 96 pupils on roll.

What age range does Downs Barn School cover?

Downs Barn School for pupils aged 2 to 7.

Where is Downs Barn School?

Downs Barn School is at 69 Downs Barns Boulevard, Downs Barn, 69 Downs Barn Boulevard, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK14 7NA.