St Barnabas CofE Primary Academy

St Barnabas C of E Primary Academy has made significant improvements since its last inspection, now rated as good overall. The school provides a positive learning environment where pupils are happy and motivated. Changes to the curriculum and gains in staff support have enabled pupils to achieve well, with a clear focus on addressing previous weaknesses in knowledge retention. This new direction aligns closely with the trust's commitment to stability and quality education. However, there remain some challenges, particularly in ensuring that all students, especially those with special educational needs, receive the necessary support in reading fluency and confidence.

Strengths

• Pupils demonstrate excellent relationships with adults and peers.
• The curriculum has been positively amended to raise expectations of achievement.
• Pupils are enthusiastic learners and show a strong understanding of core knowledge.
• The school provides a range of extracurricular activities that enhance the curriculum.
• Staff are well-supported with effective training and professional development.
• Behaviour in the school is well-managed and contributes to a positive learning environment.
• Pupils understand and respect different beliefs and value fundamental British values.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils with SEND struggle to develop reading knowledge effectively.
• There are gaps in pupils' learning due to weaknesses in the previous curriculum.

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 St Barnabas CofE Primary Academy attended 93.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 21.4% 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, 2.7% of pupils at St Barnabas CofE Primary Academy 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 St Barnabas CofE Primary Academy had 22.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.1% 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, 25.9% of pupils at St Barnabas CofE Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.2% 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 2024–25 St Barnabas CofE Primary Academy received £8,008 and spent £7,084 for each of its 225 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,049,000 (£4,664 per pupil).

Across all 10 schools of Vantage Ce Academies Trust, income was £7,696 and spending £7,506 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Manchester · Manchester local authority: places and applications

St Barnabas CofE Primary Academy is part of Vantage Ce Academies Trust, which runs 10 schools. The nearest others:

• St James' CofE Primary School Gorton Manchester
• Gorton Primary School Manchester
• St Paul's CofE Primary School Salford
• St Hilda's CofE Primary School Manchester
• St Augustine's CofE Primary School Manchester
• Flixton Girls School Manchester
• Ss Simon & Jude CofE Primary School, Bolton Bolton
• Willow Tree Primary School Liverpool
• Knowsley Lane Primary School Liverpool

What is St Barnabas CofE Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Barnabas CofE Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in July 2024.

When was St Barnabas CofE Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

St Barnabas CofE Primary Academy was last inspected in July 2024.

How many pupils does St Barnabas CofE Primary Academy have?

St Barnabas CofE Primary Academy has 220 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Barnabas CofE Primary Academy cover?

St Barnabas CofE Primary Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are St Barnabas CofE Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 77% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Barnabas CofE Primary Academy?

St Barnabas CofE Primary Academy is at Parkhouse Street, Openshaw, Manchester, M11 2JX.