Barlborough Primary School

Barlborough Primary School is a friendly community school where pupils are proud, respectful and behave well. Inspectors found strong personal development, effective safeguarding and a nurturing early years provision, with reading a clear priority and pupils typically achieving well in reading and mathematics by the end of key stage 2. Leadership has recently changed, and governors and staff are positive about the direction of travel. However, the quality of education requires improvement. The curriculum is not consistently well structured across all subjects, so pupils sometimes struggle to recall and build knowledge. Teaching does not routinely check understanding or adapt to all pupils, and oversight and support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities has been weak, leaving some pupils confused and not progressing as they should. New leaders have identified the right priorities, but implementation is at an early stage. This was the school's first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the headteacher took up post in April 2025. Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Strengths

• Pupils are proud, respectful and supportive of one another.
• Pupils behave positively around school and in lessons.
• Pupil leadership and anti-bullying ambassador roles build confidence and help pupils join in.
• Reading is prioritised, with effective phonics, matched books and personalised support for pupils at risk of falling behind.
• Early years provision is nurturing and carefully designed, with skilful questioning and strong staff subject knowledge.
• Personal development is well considered, including trips, residentials, sport and safety education.
• Pupils learn about fundamental British values and how to stay safe online.
• Pupils typically achieve well in reading and mathematics in end of key stage 2 tests.
• Governors know the school's priorities and hold leaders to account.
• Staff are positive about workload and well-being.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• The quality of education requires improvement.
• The curriculum lacks clearly defined essential knowledge in some subjects, limiting pupils' ability to build and recall learning.
• Teachers do not consistently check pupils' understanding or adapt teaching, so gaps and misconceptions are not addressed.
• Support for pupils with SEND lacks oversight and consistent adaptation, so some pupils find lessons too difficult and make less progress.
• Pupils do not achieve as well as they should across the breadth of the curriculum.
• Some pupils fall behind because tasks do not always help them meet curriculum aims.

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 Barlborough Primary School attended 95.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 5.8% 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, 1.6% of pupils at Barlborough 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 Barlborough Primary School had 22.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.3% 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, 11.0% of pupils at Barlborough Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.2% 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 Barlborough Primary School received £6,906 and spent £7,150 for each of its 191 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £25,000 (£129 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 Chesterfield · Derbyshire local authority: places and applications

What is Barlborough Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Barlborough Primary School is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in July 2025.

When was Barlborough Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Barlborough Primary School was last inspected in July 2025.

How many pupils does Barlborough Primary School have?

Barlborough Primary School has 191 pupils on roll.

What age range does Barlborough Primary School cover?

Barlborough Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 68% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Barlborough Primary School?

Barlborough Primary School is at High Street, Barlborough, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S43 4ET.