Fairford Academy Barnehurst

Fairford Academy Barnehurst continues to demonstrate a strong performance as a good school, with leaders showing ambition and commitment to providing pupils with a broad and engaging education. The school environment is characterized by a supportive and secure atmosphere where pupils are happy and engaged. High expectations for behavior and a proactive approach to safeguarding contribute to a positive school culture. Leaders are attentive to the personal development of pupils, encouraging them to participate in a wide array of school activities and take on responsibilities that enhance their educational experience. The recent emphasis on reading and the introduction of a new phonics programme further underscore the school's focus on developing foundational literacy skills. However, there are areas that require attention for continued improvement. Though the curriculum has been updated, its full implementation is still pending in some subjects, which has led to limitations in pupil learning experiences. Moreover, there are concerns regarding a small number of pupils who struggle with behavior, occasionally disrupting the learning environment. Leading efforts to provide effective support for these pupils is crucial for the overall success of the school.

Strengths

• Pupils enjoy a broad range of subjects and experiences.
• Leaders have high expectations for pupil behavior and have successfully reduced incidents of bullying.
• The school has a strong culture of safeguarding.
• There is a commitment to an ambitious curriculum that supports all learners, including those with SEND.
• Teachers have strong subject knowledge and emphasize the use of subject-specific vocabulary.
• Reading is prioritized, with a well-trained staff effectively supporting pupils' literacy development.
• Leaders actively engage with parents to support their children's education.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils exhibit behavioral issues that disrupt learning.
• The new curriculum has not been fully implemented in a few subjects, limiting progression.

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 Fairford Academy Barnehurst attended 94.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 16.9% 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, 1.5% of pupils at Fairford Academy Barnehurst 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 Fairford Academy Barnehurst had 18.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 42.6% 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, 23.5% of pupils at Fairford Academy Barnehurst were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.0% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has resourced provision with 9 pupils.

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 Fairford Academy Barnehurst received £7,350 and spent £7,844 for each of its 524 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £404,000 (£771 per pupil).

Across all 2 schools of Illuminate Minds Trust, income was £7,205 and spending £7,999 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

Fairford Academy Barnehurst is part of Illuminate Minds Trust, which runs 2 schools. The nearest others:

• Pelham Primary School Bexleyheath

What is Fairford Academy Barnehurst's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Fairford Academy Barnehurst is Good, from an inspection in April 2023.

When was Fairford Academy Barnehurst last inspected by Ofsted?

Fairford Academy Barnehurst was last inspected in April 2023.

How many pupils does Fairford Academy Barnehurst have?

Fairford Academy Barnehurst has 452 pupils on roll.

What age range does Fairford Academy Barnehurst cover?

Fairford Academy Barnehurst for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Fairford Academy Barnehurst's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 56% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Fairford Academy Barnehurst?

Fairford Academy Barnehurst is at Fairford Avenue, Barnehurst, Bexleyheath, Kent, DA7 6QP.