Saint Barnabas Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Saint Barnabas Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is a small, inclusive primary school that has made rapid improvements since its previous inspection, when it was judged to require improvement. It is now judged good in quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. Pupils are happy, safe and welcoming, behaviour expectations are consistent, attendance has notably improved, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. The school is supported by Pathfinder Multi Academy Trust and has benefited from stable, outward-looking leadership with strong governor support and challenge. The curriculum has been significantly refined, with clear identification of important knowledge and stronger recall. Staff check pupils' understanding effectively and intervene swiftly when gaps are identified. Early reading and phonics support are strong, pupils with SEND are well supported and access the curriculum well, and early years provision has established routines and purposeful activities that develop children's skills. Personal development is a strength, including thoughtful PSHE lessons and community links such as welcoming residents from a local care home. The main concern is writing. Although the school has taken assertive action to improve the writing curriculum and teaching consistency, attainment in writing at the end of key stage 2 has been well below average, and some older pupils have not fully benefited from recent changes. Some weaknesses in their writing remain, including gaps in knowledge that need more targeted identification and support. Some recent refinements are still embedding and have not yet had full impact on outcomes, so the school needs to continue monitoring and evaluating these changes so that more pupils meet national expectations by the end of key stage 2.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy, safe and quick to make friends in an inclusive school community.
• The curriculum has been refined to identify important knowledge and raise ambition.
• Pupils' recall from the curriculum has notably improved.
• Staff check what pupils know and remember effectively and intervene swiftly when gaps are identified.
• Early reading and phonics support help pupils who need extra assistance to catch up.
• Pupils with SEND are accurately identified and well supported to access the curriculum.
• Early years provision has strong routines and well-designed activities that develop children's skills.
• Personal, social and health education helps pupils understand friendships and healthy relationships.
• Behaviour expectations are consistent and lessons are calm, allowing pupils to focus.
• Attendance has notably improved through strong partnership work with parents.
• Leadership has driven rapid improvement, with high expectations and an outward-looking approach.
• Governors offer appropriate support and challenge, and staff feel valued.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils' attainment in writing at the end of key stage 2 has been well below average.
• Some older pupils have not fully benefited from changes to the writing curriculum and weaknesses in their writing remain.
• Changes to the writing curriculum have not fully addressed gaps in knowledge for some older pupils.
• Some recent refinements are still embedding and have not yet impacted fully on pupils' outcomes.
• More pupils need to meet national expectations by the end of key stage 2.

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 Saint Barnabas Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School attended 93.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 17.1% 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, 8.2% of pupils at Saint Barnabas Church of England Voluntary Controlled 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 Saint Barnabas Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School had 21.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 20.0% 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, 17.1% of pupils at Saint Barnabas Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.9% 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 Saint Barnabas Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School received £14,383 and spent £14,344 for each of its 76 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £209,000 (-£2,744 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).

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What is Saint Barnabas Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Saint Barnabas Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is Good, from an inspection in July 2025.

When was Saint Barnabas Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Saint Barnabas Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School was last inspected in July 2025.

How many pupils does Saint Barnabas Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School have?

Saint Barnabas Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School has 76 pupils on roll.

What age range does Saint Barnabas Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School cover?

Saint Barnabas Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School for pupils aged 5 to 11.

What are Saint Barnabas Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 0% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Saint Barnabas Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?

Saint Barnabas Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is at Jubilee Terrace, Leeman Road, York, North Yorkshire, YO26 4YZ.