Barns Green Primary School

Barns Green Primary School has improved since its previous inspection and is now judged good across all inspected areas: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. No overall effectiveness grade is given under the current inspection arrangements. This was the school’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the headteacher took up the substantive post in March 2023. Pupils are described as flourishing in a nurturing, harmonious and inclusive school. They achieve well, behave courteously, attend well and feel safe. Leaders have designed an ambitious and creative curriculum that is carefully sequenced, including for mixed-age classes and Reception, and reading is a high priority with well-trained staff and swift catch-up support. Pupils benefit from strong personal development, a wide range of clubs and experiences, and meaningful leadership roles. Provision for pupils with SEND is carefully checked and tailored, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. The main area for improvement is assessment practice. Occasionally, staff do not check pupils’ understanding or address misconceptions quickly enough, including in the early years, so some pupils do not learn as well as they could. Leaders should ensure all staff use assessment efficiently to adapt teaching and support so that every pupil progresses securely through the curriculum.

Strengths

• Provides an incredibly nurturing, harmonious and inclusive environment
• Pupils rise to high expectations for conduct and learning and achieve well
• Pupils build warm, respectful relationships with staff and feel safe
• Strong pupil leadership roles, including eco-warriors, councillors and mental health ambassadors
• Wide range of clubs, music, arts, sports and outdoor learning opportunities
• Ambitious, creative and purposeful curriculum across subjects and early years
• Curriculum is carefully sequenced, including for mixed-age groups and Reception
• Early reading is a high priority with well-trained staff and swift catch-up support
• Pupils behave well, are courteous and have high rates of attendance
• Meticulous procedures ensure pupils with SEND receive tailored support
• Personal development is broad, with thoughtful debate and community involvement
• Staff appreciate consideration of workload when new initiatives are introduced
• Governors understand the school’s strengths and hold leaders to account effectively
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• Staff do not always check pupils’ understanding quickly enough, including in the early years
• Misconceptions are not always addressed swiftly, so some pupils do not learn as well as they could
• Assessment is not consistently used to adapt teaching and support so all pupils progress securely

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 Barns Green Primary School attended 93.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 12.6% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Barns Green 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 Barns Green Primary School had 21.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.9% 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, 10.9% of pupils at Barns Green Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.2% 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 Barns Green Primary School received £7,950 and spent £7,867 for each of its 128 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £50,000 (£392 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 Horsham · West Sussex local authority: places and applications

What is Barns Green Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Barns Green Primary School is Good, from an inspection in November 2024.

When was Barns Green Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Barns Green Primary School was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does Barns Green Primary School have?

Barns Green Primary School has 128 pupils on roll.

What age range does Barns Green Primary School cover?

Barns Green Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 89% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Barns Green Primary School?

Barns Green Primary School is at The Hordens, Barns Green, Horsham, West Sussex, RH13 0PJ.