Yarnfield Primary School

Yarnfield Primary School is a large, diverse primary in an area of high deprivation, part of the Summit Learning Trust. Inspectors found a school where inclusion and personal development are particular strengths, with early years and inclusion both judged as strong standard. Pupils are happy, safe, and well cared for, and leaders have created a culture where every child is known and supported. Provision for pupils with SEND is highly effective, and disadvantaged pupils achieve well, often outperforming their peers nationally in writing and mathematics. Attendance has improved significantly but remains above the national average for both overall and persistent absence. Teaching and learning are typically good, with pupils achieving well and reading improving rapidly. However, some most-able pupils are not consistently stretched, often having to complete easier tasks before moving on to more demanding work. Handwriting is not yet consistent across the school. Leaders have a secure understanding of the school's strengths and areas for development, and they are well supported by the trust. Governance is effective, and staff feel valued. Overall, this is a school that is fulfilling the expected standard, with strong practice in early years and inclusion. Leaders know what needs to be done to improve further, particularly in raising expectations for the most able, reducing persistent absence, and ensuring consistently high standards of handwriting.

Strengths

• Early years provides a positive, happy environment where children feel secure and flourish.
• Inclusion is woven into every aspect of the school, with highly effective provision for pupils with SEND.
• Disadvantaged pupils achieve well, often above national averages in writing and mathematics.
• Personal development and wellbeing are strong, with pupils showing ambition, resilience, and a deep understanding of British values.
• Pupils' behaviour around school is excellent, and they show kindness and consideration.
• Leaders have been highly effective in improving attendance, with significant improvements.
• Staff are well trained, and teaching and learning have improved, particularly in phonics.
• The school provides extensive support for families, including 'keep in touch' events.
• Pupils benefit from a wide range of enriching experiences, such as playing steel pan drums and performing opera.

Areas for Improvement

• Some most-able pupils often have to complete easier tasks before progressing to more demanding work, limiting their progress.
• Persistent absence remains above the national average, and leaders know more work is needed to support persistently absent pupils.
• Handwriting is not yet consistent across the school.

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 Yarnfield Primary School attended 93.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 17.7% 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, 0.1% of pupils at Yarnfield 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 Yarnfield Primary School had 18.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 6.5% 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, 12.7% of pupils at Yarnfield Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.4% 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 Yarnfield Primary School received £7,100 and spent £7,070 for each of its 652 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,393,000 (£2,137 per pupil).

Across all 9 schools of Summit Learning Trust, income was £8,161 and spending £7,858 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 Birmingham · Birmingham local authority: places and applications

Yarnfield Primary School is part of Summit Learning Trust, which runs 9 schools. The nearest others:

• Ninestiles, an Academy Birmingham
• The Oaklands Primary School Birmingham
• Kineton Green Primary School Solihull
• Lyndon School Solihull
• Cockshut Hill School Birmingham
• Solihull Sixth Form College Solihull
• Erdington Hall Primary School Birmingham
• Pegasus Primary School Birmingham

What is Yarnfield Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Yarnfield Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was Yarnfield Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Yarnfield Primary School was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does Yarnfield Primary School have?

Yarnfield Primary School has 639 pupils on roll.

What age range does Yarnfield Primary School cover?

Yarnfield Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 58% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Yarnfield Primary School?

Yarnfield Primary School is at Yarnfield Road, Tyseley, Birmingham, West Midlands, B11 3PJ.