Thomas Barnes Primary School

Thomas Barnes Primary School is a small maintained primary school with mixed-age classes. This was its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and its previous inspection grade was outstanding. Pupils are proud of their school, feel safe and welcome, and behave exceptionally well. Relationships are positive, expectations are high, and most pupils are well prepared for their future education by the end of Year 6. The curriculum is carefully sequenced from Reception to Year 6, including in mixed-age classes, and most pupils achieve well. Reading is taught expertly, with regular phonics checks and effective support for pupils at risk of falling behind. Pupils with SEND benefit from well-tailored adaptations in reading and mathematics. Personal development is exceptionally strong, with extensive leadership opportunities, competitive sport, music, residential experiences and a strong focus on safety and emotional wellbeing. Leadership is secure, governors support and challenge appropriately, staff workload is managed well, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. The school has two main areas to improve. In a small number of foundation subjects, teachers do not consistently help pupils connect current learning with prior knowledge, which limits the depth of pupils’ understanding over time. Occasionally, writing activities are not adapted well enough for pupils with SEND, preventing some pupils from achieving as well as they could in writing.

Strengths

• Pupils are proud, welcoming and feel safe at school
• Behaviour and attitudes to learning are excellent
• High expectations help most pupils achieve well by the end of Year 6
• The curriculum is carefully sequenced from Reception to Year 6, including mixed-age classes
• Reading is taught expertly, with regular phonics checks and effective support
• Pupils with SEND benefit from carefully tailored adaptations in reading and mathematics
• Personal development is exceptionally strong, with extensive leadership opportunities
• Pupils enjoy a wide range of sporting, musical and residential experiences
• Pupils learn to manage their feelings and emotions through the Nurture Nook
• Leaders have a secure understanding of the school’s strengths and improvement areas
• Governors use their expertise appropriately to support and challenge the school
• Staff appreciate steps taken to manage workload and wellbeing
• Relationships with parents and carers are strong
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• In a few foundation subjects, teachers miss opportunities to help pupils connect current learning with prior knowledge, limiting depth of understanding
• Writing activities are occasionally not adapted well enough for pupils with SEND, so some pupils do not achieve as well as they could

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 Thomas Barnes Primary School attended 95.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.0% 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 Thomas Barnes 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 Thomas Barnes Primary School had 19.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 13.3% 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, 8.5% of pupils at Thomas Barnes Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 0.0% 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 Thomas Barnes Primary School received £6,756 and spent £6,399 for each of its 106 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £110,000 (£1,033 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 Tamworth · Staffordshire local authority: places and applications

Thomas Barnes Primary School is part of Tame Valley Co-Operative Learning Trust, which runs 2 schools. The nearest others:

• Longwood Primary School Tamworth

What is Thomas Barnes Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Thomas Barnes Primary School is Good, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Thomas Barnes Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Thomas Barnes Primary School was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Thomas Barnes Primary School have?

Thomas Barnes Primary School has 106 pupils on roll.

What age range does Thomas Barnes Primary School cover?

Thomas Barnes Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

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

Where is Thomas Barnes Primary School?

Thomas Barnes Primary School is at School Lane, Hopwas, Tamworth, Staffordshire, B78 3AD.