Barrow Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Barrow Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is a highly inclusive and supportive primary where pupils feel safe, behave exceptionally well and benefit from an ambitious, broad curriculum. Inspectors highlighted outstanding behaviour and personal development, along with outstanding early years provision, and found good quality of education and leadership. Pupils enjoy strong reading and phonics teaching, effective SEND inclusion, a wide range of trips, clubs and responsibilities, and a caring culture that helps them develop confidence and character. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. The main areas for development are in the wider curriculum and mathematics. Some wider-curriculum content, particularly disciplinary knowledge, is not taught as securely as other elements, and leaders should ensure teachers have the subject knowledge to deliver it well. In key stage 2, especially mathematics, the curriculum is not yet fully embedded, and some pupils have gaps in mathematical knowledge; catch-up support needs to have the intended impact. This was the school’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and its first section 5 inspection since 2011, when it was judged outstanding and exempt from routine inspection. Under the current arrangements the school does not receive an overall effectiveness grade.

Strengths

• Inclusive, caring environment where pupils feel safe and happy
• Exemplary pupil behaviour and positive attitudes to learning
• Exceptional personal development and character education
• Outstanding early years provision with strong language and reading foundations
• Well-planned, broad curriculum with clear sequencing
• Strong phonics and reading teaching, including support for pupils who need extra help
• Effective inclusion and support for pupils with SEND
• Wide extracurricular, trips, careers and leadership opportunities
• High attendance and rigorous attendance checks
• Effective governance, staff support and high parent satisfaction

Areas for Improvement

• Some wider-curriculum content, such as disciplinary knowledge, is not taught as securely as other elements
• Teachers may lack the subject knowledge needed to deliver some wider-curriculum aspects effectively
• The curriculum is not fully embedded in key stage 2, particularly mathematics
• Some pupils have gaps in mathematical knowledge and are not as fluent in number as they could be
• Support for pupils to catch up on missed mathematical learning has not had the intended impact

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 Barrow Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School attended 96.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 5.0% 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, 1.4% of pupils at Barrow 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 Barrow Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School had 17.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 2.1% 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, 9.0% of pupils at Barrow Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.0% 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 Barrow Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School received £7,303 and spent £7,298 for each of its 199 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £123,000 (£617 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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All schools in Bury St Edmunds · Suffolk local authority: places and applications

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

The latest Ofsted rating for Barrow Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is Good, from an inspection in December 2024.

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

Barrow Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School was last inspected in December 2024.

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

Barrow Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School has 199 pupils on roll.

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

Barrow Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 67% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Barrow Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?

Barrow Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is at Colethorpe Lane, Barrow, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP29 5AU.