Barden Primary School

Barden Primary School has achieved a commendable overall effectiveness rating of good in its recent inspection. The school is characterized by a supportive and engaging environment where pupils demonstrate respect and enthusiasm for their learning. The curriculum has been ambitious and well-designed, allowing most students, including those with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language, to achieve well from their diverse starting points. While the school has a strong focus on reading and personal development, some areas, especially regarding pupils’ understanding of diversity, require attention to ensure all students are adequately prepared for modern society.

Strengths

• Pupils are well behaved and show positive attitudes towards learning.
• The school has developed an ambitious curriculum that supports good achievement.
• Effective phonics instruction ensures that most pupils can read accurately by the end of Year 1.
• Strong support is provided for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• The school promotes a wide range of extracurricular activities that enhance personal development.

Areas for Improvement

• Some subjects lack consistency in how teachers check pupils' prior learning.
• Pupils do not have a clear enough understanding of diversity and different faiths.

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 Barden Primary School attended 94.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 11.6% 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, 0.2% of pupils at Barden 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 Barden Primary School had 18.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.2% 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, 13.9% of pupils at Barden Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 8.6% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has a SEN unit with 15 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 Barden Primary School received £8,547 and spent £8,429 for each of its 474 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £251,000 (£530 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 Burnley · Lancashire local authority: places and applications

What is Barden Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Barden Primary School is Good, from an inspection in July 2024.

When was Barden Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Barden Primary School was last inspected in July 2024.

How many pupils does Barden Primary School have?

Barden Primary School has 474 pupils on roll.

What age range does Barden Primary School cover?

Barden Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 60% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Barden Primary School?

Barden Primary School is at Burnley Campus, Barden Lane, Burnley, Lancashire, BB10 1JD.