Barrow 1618 CofE Free School

Barrow 1618 C of E Free School demonstrates overall good performance across various assessments, notable for its outstanding early years provision. The school has made significant strides in developing a broad and ambitious curriculum that prepares students well for their educational journeys, with a strong focus on mathematics and early reading skills. There is a nurturing environment evident in the positive relationships between pupils and staff, fostering confidence and encouraging risk-taking in learning. However, the school appears to be undergoing transitional improvements following a long gap since its last routine inspection due to exemption laws.

Strengths

• Outstanding early years provision.
• Strong emphasis on personal development and pupils' well-being.
• Positive relationships between pupils and staff.
• Well-structured mathematics program helping pupils to become confident problem-solvers.
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Engaging outdoor learning opportunities.
• Passionate and committed staff and governors.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent expectations in the quality of pupils' written work.
• In some subjects, curriculum improvements not fully implemented.

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 1618 CofE Free School attended 95.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.6% 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 Barrow 1618 CofE Free 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 1618 CofE Free School had 13.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 11.8% of pupils at Barrow 1618 CofE Free School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.2% 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 Barrow 1618 CofE Free School received £8,907 and spent £7,474 for each of its 97 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £166,000 (£1,711 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 Shropshire · Shropshire local authority: places and applications

What is Barrow 1618 CofE Free School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Barrow 1618 CofE Free School is Good, from an inspection in December 2023.

When was Barrow 1618 CofE Free School last inspected by Ofsted?

Barrow 1618 CofE Free School was last inspected in December 2023.

How many pupils does Barrow 1618 CofE Free School have?

Barrow 1618 CofE Free School has 93 pupils on roll.

What age range does Barrow 1618 CofE Free School cover?

Barrow 1618 CofE Free School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Barrow 1618 CofE Free School's SATs (KS2) results?

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

Where is Barrow 1618 CofE Free School?

Barrow 1618 CofE Free School is at Barrow, Broseley, Shropshire, TF12 5BW.