Barrowford School

Barrowford School is an inclusive primary school in Nelson with a high proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, including two specialist units for social, emotional and mental health needs and speech, language and communication needs. Safeguarding standards are met, and the school has an open culture where concerns are actively identified and managed. Inclusion and personal development are relative strengths: pupils are welcomed, feel safe, and benefit from strong pastoral and wellbeing support, a rights-based personal development curriculum, and a wide range of enrichment opportunities. The school also works closely with families and external specialists, and disadvantaged pupils perform closer to national averages than pupils at the school overall in some areas. However, several core areas require improvement. Published end-of-key-stage-2 results are below national averages, including the proportion of pupils reaching the higher standard, and pupils leave less prepared for secondary school than they should be. Phonics outcomes have been significantly below national averages for three years, pupils' spelling and handwriting errors are not routinely addressed, and the curriculum is not yet clearly enough sequenced or consistently taught across subjects. Teaching does not reliably adapt to all pupils, especially those with SEND in mainstream classes, disadvantaged pupils and higher attainers. Early years provision does not consistently build children's knowledge securely, and too many children are not ready for Year 1. Attendance has been below national averages for three years, with persistent absence well above national and little improvement for disadvantaged pupils or those with SEND. Behaviour is variable: some lessons are calm, but in others disruption is not always addressed promptly. Leaders understand the priorities and have recently improved mathematics and employed an attendance officer, but their actions have not yet translated into the improvements pupils need, and governors' challenge is not moving the school forward at the required pace. The next steps focus on curriculum sequencing, early years progression, SEND adaptations, attainment in reading, writing and mathematics, attendance, behaviour consistency, and stronger leadership oversight.

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open culture where concerns are actively identified and managed.
• The school provides a safe, inclusive and nurturing environment for pupils with complex needs.
• Staff work closely with families and specialist teachers and social care partners to tailor support to individual pupils.
• The SEN units offer a carefully structured pathway, and some pupils move back into mainstream classes.
• The special educational needs coordinator works closely with the virtual school so children in care receive coordinated support.
• Leaders use pupil premium funding well; disadvantaged pupils perform closer to national averages than pupils at the school overall.
• The personal development programme is clearly structured and promotes dignity, respect and the rights of the child.
• Pupils show tolerance and respect, and they care for classmates from different backgrounds and those with additional needs.
• Wellbeing support includes a therapist, therapeutic sessions, quiet spaces and a bereavement curriculum.
• Pupils feel safe and know trusted adults will listen; bullying and discrimination are rare and dealt with when they happen.
• Enrichment includes residentials, cultural visits, choir performances and clubs open to all pupils.
• The school removes financial and social barriers so disadvantaged pupils and pupils in specialist provision take part alongside peers.
• Phonics is taught consistently, with pupils practising reading from books matched to their stage.
• Staff build positive relationships with pupils and have received training to manage behaviour consistently.
• Pupils with SEND make progress from their starting points.
• Leaders consider staff workload and wellbeing, protecting time for professional learning.
• The mathematics curriculum has been recently improved, with important knowledge clearly identified and sequenced.
• Governors meet their statutory duties, engage positively with parents and the community, and act in pupils' best interests.

Areas for Improvement

• Published end-of-key-stage-2 results are below national averages, including fewer pupils reaching the higher standard in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Pupils leave school less prepared for secondary school than they should be.
• Current pupils have gaps in knowledge and skills, and they do not routinely address mistakes in spelling or handwriting.
• Year 1 phonics screening outcomes have been significantly below national averages for three consecutive years.
• The curriculum does not focus closely enough on the key knowledge, skills and vocabulary pupils need across subjects and in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Teaching is not routinely adapted to meet the needs of all pupils, including those with SEND, disadvantaged pupils and higher attainers.
• Teaching does not consistently identify or address gaps and misconceptions in pupils' learning.
• Adaptations for pupils with SEND are not consistently well planned in mainstream classes, unlike in the SEN unit.
• The early years curriculum does not consistently build children's knowledge securely enough, and too many children are not ready for Year 1.
• Attendance has been below national averages for three years, and persistent absence is well above national.
• Attendance for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND has not improved, and the school's attendance work is at an early stage.
• Behaviour is variable; in some classrooms pupils interrupt lessons and staff do not always address this promptly.
• Leaders' recent improvements have not consistently translated into better pupil outcomes, particularly in writing.
• Governors' challenge does not currently move the school forward at the pace required.
• Training on adapting the mainstream curriculum for pupils with SEND is at an earlier stage.
• Pupils' knowledge of world religions is less secure.
• Some pupils do not secure the foundations they need to communicate their knowledge with accuracy.
• Pupils capable of more find their learning does not stretch them.

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 Barrowford School attended 88.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 40.9% 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 Barrowford 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 Barrowford School had 16.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 17.6% 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, 17.9% of pupils at Barrowford School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 16.7% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has a SEN unit with 29 pupils.

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 Barrowford School received £9,752 and spent £9,778 for each of its 312 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £79,000 (£254 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 Nelson · Lancashire local authority: places and applications

What is Barrowford School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Barrowford School is Needs attention, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was Barrowford School last inspected by Ofsted?

Barrowford School was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does Barrowford School have?

Barrowford School has 312 pupils on roll.

What age range does Barrowford School cover?

Barrowford School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Barrowford School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 50% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Barrowford School?

Barrowford School is at Rushton Street, Barrowford, Barrowford Primary School, Nelson, Lancashire, BB9 6EA.