Birklands Primary School

Birklands Primary School is performing strongly overall. Inspectors found high aspirations, secure pupil progress, published outcomes above national comparators, and effective foundations in reading, phonics, writing and mathematics. Pupils with SEND and those facing barriers are well supported, including through The Nest, and they make positive progress. Attendance has improved considerably, behaviour is calm and respectful, and pupils feel safe and included. The school is part of the NOVA Education Trust and has experienced significant senior leadership changes; safeguarding standards are met, and inspectors also considered the school's response to a serious incident involving a former pupil. Strengths in leadership, governance, inclusion, personal development and wellbeing are notable. Leaders and governors know the school well, act decisively, and have strengthened systems, staff expertise and community partnerships. Pupils benefit from a broad personal development offer, strong pastoral care, and opportunities that raise aspirations and prepare them well for secondary education. Early years provision has a strengthened curriculum and children achieve well from their starting points. The main areas for further work are curriculum and teaching, where recent improvements are not yet fully consistent across all subjects and classes. Teachers do not always check what pupils know and remember, which can lead to less precise adaptations and unresolved gaps in understanding. In early years, the outdoor provision is not yet as rich as the indoor environment, and leaders have plans to improve this. These are the key next steps rather than significant weaknesses in an otherwise strong school.

Strengths

• High aspirations and determination for every pupil to succeed shape the school's work.
• Pupils make secure progress across the curriculum and published outcomes are above national comparators.
• Strong foundations in reading, phonics, writing and mathematics help pupils access learning confidently.
• Pupils with SEND make positive progress from their starting points and receive effective support.
• Attendance has improved rapidly and sustainedly, with persistent absence reduced considerably.
• Pupils behave well in a calm, respectful culture, and bullying is uncommon.
• Inclusion is central to daily life, with early identification of needs and effective support.
• Disadvantaged pupils participate fully in clubs, visits and residential experiences.
• Leadership and governance are purposeful, with accurate evaluation and decisive improvement.
• Staff benefit from trust-wide coaching, training and collaboration, and their wellbeing is considered.
• Partnerships with families and the wider community are a notable strength.
• Personal development and pastoral support are strong, broadening pupils' horizons and aspirations.
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open culture and effective concern management.
• Early years provision has a strengthened curriculum and children achieve well from their starting points.
• Pupils leave well prepared for secondary education and future success.

Areas for Improvement

• Recent curriculum improvements are not yet consistent across all subjects and classes.
• Teaching quality is not yet consistently strong across the curriculum, with variable decisions about what, when and how to teach.
• Teachers do not always check what pupils know and remember, so gaps in understanding are not always addressed precisely.
• Early years outdoor provision is not yet as high quality as indoor provision.

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 Birklands Primary School attended 94.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.3% 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, 0.3% of pupils at Birklands 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 Birklands Primary School had 27.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.4% 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, 6.6% of pupils at Birklands Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.7% 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 Birklands Primary School received £6,547 and spent £6,467 for each of its 321 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £446,000 (£1,389 per pupil).

Across all 17 schools of Nova Education Trust, income was £7,436 and spending £7,228 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 Mansfield · Nottinghamshire local authority: places and applications

Birklands Primary School is part of Nova Education Trust, which runs 17 schools. The nearest others:

• Meden School Mansfield
• The Garibaldi School Mansfield
• Forest Town Primary School Mansfield
• Westdale Junior School Nottingham
• Nottingham Free School Nottingham
• Nottingham University Samworth Academy Nottingham
• Firbeck Academy Nottingham
• The Newark Academy Newark
• Kirk Hallam Community Academy Ilkeston
• Nottingham University Academy of Science and Technology Nottingham

What is Birklands Primary School's Ofsted rating?

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

When was Birklands Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Birklands Primary School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Birklands Primary School have?

Birklands Primary School has 331 pupils on roll.

What age range does Birklands Primary School cover?

Birklands Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 73% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Birklands Primary School?

Birklands Primary School is at Appleton Street, Warsop, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, NG20 0QF.