New Barn School
| Type | Independent School / Other independent special school |
| Age Range | 6-19 |
| Religion | Unknown |
| Address | Welford Newbury Berkshire RG20 8HZ |
| Phone | 01488505145 |
| Reference Number | 144033 |
New Barn School, an independent special school for pupils aged 6 to 19 with special educational needs, has been rated inadequate overall in its latest inspection. While the school is taking initial steps to improve conditions and pupil experiences, many longstanding issues persist. The quality of education provided has been assessed as inadequate, with insufficient implementation of the curriculum that fails to cater to the pupils' needs as outlined in their EHC plans. There have been significant changes to the leadership, and while behavior policies are seeing some success, low expectations and poor classroom experiences remain concerns.
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 92 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 83.7%
Girls: 16.3% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 0% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 100% |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 3 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 4 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 5 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 6 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 7 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 8 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 9 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 10 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 11 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 12 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 13 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Inadequate |
| Last Report Date | 16 Sep 2025 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 16 Sep 2025 | Standard inspection: |
| 23 Apr 2025 | Additional inspection |
| 14 Jan 2025 | Standard inspection: |
| 20 Mar 2023 | Additional inspection |
| 21 Jun 2022 | Standard inspection: |
| 01 Jun 2021 | Additional inspection |
| 25 Nov 2020 | Additional inspection |
| 09 May 2018 | Additional inspection |
| 05 Dec 2017 | Standard inspection: |
Strengths
- Pupils benefit from effective pastoral care and have trusted adults to support them.
- Incidents of poor behavior are decreasing as the school is adhering to behavior policies more effectively.
- Pupils have access to a range of additional experiences, such as boxing lessons and the Duke of Edinburgh's award.
Areas for Improvement
- The quality of education is inadequate, with pupils not receiving the necessary support as set out in their EHC plans.
- Staff expectations for pupil behavior and academic performance are too low.
- Curriculum implementation lacks depth, leading to inappropriate teaching methods that do not meet pupils' needs.
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