Barley Croft Primary School

Barley Croft Primary School continues to uphold the quality of education noted in its previous inspection, demonstrating effective leadership and a strong sense of community among its pupils. The school is characterized by a happy and friendly environment where pupils thrive and enjoy engaging in various clubs and activities that enhance their learning experiences. Notably, the school runs an effective special educational needs unit, which provides tailored support to its pupils. The early years curriculum is praised for being exciting and ambitious, setting a strong foundation for young learners.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy and feel safe at school.
• The curriculum has clear objectives for knowledge and skills development.
• Effective leadership is driving improvements in teaching and learning.
• Strong emphasis on reading with a well-defined phonics approach.
• Engaging extracurricular activities boost pupils' aspirations.
• Pupils are well-prepared for life in modern Britain.
• Early years curriculum is ambitious and enriching.

Areas for Improvement

• Not all teachers consistently use subject guidance effectively.
• Some pupils with SEND in mainstream classes do not have their needs met adequately.

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 Croft Primary School attended 94.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 12.1% 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, 1.2% of pupils at Barley Croft 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 Croft Primary School had 19.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 13.9% 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, 18.5% of pupils at Barley Croft Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.5% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has a SEN unit with 12 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 Barley Croft Primary School received £9,316 and spent £9,276 for each of its 319 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £360,000 (£1,131 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

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What is Barley Croft Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Barley Croft Primary School is Good, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was Barley Croft Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Barley Croft Primary School was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does Barley Croft Primary School have?

Barley Croft Primary School has 324 pupils on roll.

What age range does Barley Croft Primary School cover?

Barley Croft Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 49% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Barley Croft Primary School?

Barley Croft Primary School is at Malham Close, Beaumont Leys, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE4 0UT.