Barnehurst Infant School

Barnehurst Infant School has received an outstanding rating across all domains in its recent inspection, indicating exceptional performance in the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This inspection is noteworthy as it marks the first evaluation of the school under the updated framework since its last outstanding judgement in 2013. The headteacher, Louise Shields, and her leadership team have effectively fostered a welcoming environment where pupils demonstrate a love for learning, excellent behaviour, and strong relationships with staff and peers.

Strengths

• Outstanding quality of education across all areas.
• Exceptional behaviour and positive attitudes of pupils.
• Strong emphasis on personal development and global citizenship.
• Well-sequenced and aspirational curriculum exceeding national expectations.
• Effective support for special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• High levels of parental satisfaction and community involvement.
• Strong staff training and development resulting in high teaching standards.

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 Barnehurst Infant School attended 95.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 10.6% 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 Barnehurst Infant 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 Barnehurst Infant School had 38.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 33.3% 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, 13.3% of pupils at Barnehurst Infant School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.8% 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 Barnehurst Infant School received £7,378 and spent £7,523 for each of its 204 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £83,000 (£406 per pupil).

Across all 11 schools of The Primary First Trust, income was £6,524 and spending £6,354 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 Bexley · Bexley local authority: places and applications

Barnehurst Infant School is part of The Primary First Trust, which runs 11 schools. The nearest others:

• Barnehurst Junior School Erith
• Mayplace Primary School Barnehurst
• Lessness Heath Primary School Belvedere
• Springhead Park Primary School Northfleet
• Westcourt Primary School Gravesend
• Cuxton Community Junior School Rochester
• Cuxton Community Infant School Rochester
• Wainscott Primary School Rochester
• Wayfield Primary School Chatham
• Parkwood Primary School Gillingham

What is Barnehurst Infant School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Barnehurst Infant School is Outstanding, from an inspection in December 2023.

When was Barnehurst Infant School last inspected by Ofsted?

Barnehurst Infant School was last inspected in December 2023.

How many pupils does Barnehurst Infant School have?

Barnehurst Infant School has 218 pupils on roll.

What age range does Barnehurst Infant School cover?

Barnehurst Infant School for pupils aged 3 to 7.

Where is Barnehurst Infant School?

Barnehurst Infant School is at Barnehurst Close, Northumberland Heath, Erith, Kent, DA8 3NL.