Samuel Barlow Primary Academy

Samuel Barlow Primary Academy is a caring, inclusive school where pupils feel safe and are well supported. Safeguarding is met, and the school is meeting expected standards overall. Leaders have established calm routines, strong pastoral support, and a clear focus on inclusion; early years, personal development, attendance and behaviour, and leadership and governance are particular strengths. Pupils behave well, attendance is improving, and disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND are identified and supported promptly. However, pupils do not achieve as well as they should. Achievement and curriculum and teaching require attention. Attainment by the time pupils leave school remains below national averages, especially for disadvantaged pupils, and too many pupils do not secure important knowledge in spelling, handwriting and grammar. Teaching quality is variable: some lessons do not build well on prior knowledge, misconceptions are not always addressed, and a small number of staff do not model phonics sounds accurately. The school is part of Diverse Academies Trust and has had a significant change since the last inspection, including a new principal. It serves a community with above-average deprivation, free school meals and SEND numbers. Leaders are reflective and well supported by the trust, but further work is needed to ensure consistent teaching and better progress for all pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.

Strengths

• Safeguarding arrangements are effective and there is an open culture of safeguarding.
• Pupils feel safe, happy and cared for, and behaviour is typically calm and purposeful.
• Leaders have a clear, strategic approach to attendance and persistent absence is reducing.
• Early years provision gives children a positive start, with calm environments and warm relationships.
• Inclusion is central to the school’s work, with prompt identification and support for SEND and disadvantaged pupils.
• Leaders are reflective, have high expectations, and staff feel supported and valued.
• Governance and trust oversight are effective, with appropriate support and challenge.
• Personal development and wellbeing support is a strength, including tailored interventions.
• Pupils benefit from a wide range of clubs, trips and enrichment activities.
• Early reading and phonics are prioritised, and most pupils enjoy reading and are growing in confidence.
• Pupils generally behave well, and bullying is rare and dealt with quickly.
• Relationships with families and the community are strengthening.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils’ overall achievement is too low by the time they leave school.
• Too many pupils do not secure important knowledge in spelling, handwriting and grammar.
• Disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND make variable progress from low starting points.
• The quality of teaching is variable across the school.
• In some lessons, learning does not build on what pupils already know.
• Teachers do not consistently check pupils’ understanding or address misconceptions.
• A small number of staff do not model phonics sounds accurately, which can confuse pupils.
• Pupils’ attendance remains below national levels, and persistent absence remains a focus.
• Some pupils find it difficult to explain fundamental British values.
• Writing progress is not consistently reflected in pupils’ written work.

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 Samuel Barlow Primary Academy attended 92.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 15.2% 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, 3.4% of pupils at Samuel Barlow Primary Academy 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 Samuel Barlow Primary Academy had 21.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 20.0% 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, 22.2% of pupils at Samuel Barlow Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.1% 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 Samuel Barlow Primary Academy received £6,972 and spent £7,053 for each of its 255 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £49,000 (£193 per pupil).

Across all 14 schools of Diverse Academies Trust, income was £8,591 and spending £8,593 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

Samuel Barlow Primary Academy is part of Diverse Academies Trust, which runs 16 schools. The nearest others:

• Horizons Academy Mansfield
• Yeoman Park Academy Mansfield
• Thoresby Vale Primary Academy Mansfield
• Queen Elizabeth's Academy Mansfield
• Wainwright Primary Academy Mansfield
• Redgate Primary Academy Mansfield
• Hillocks Primary Academy Sutton-In-Ashfield
• The Holgate Academy Nottingham
• Tuxford Primary Academy Newark
• Tuxford Academy Newark

What is Samuel Barlow Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Samuel Barlow Primary Academy is Needs attention, from an inspection in July 2026.

When was Samuel Barlow Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Samuel Barlow Primary Academy was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does Samuel Barlow Primary Academy have?

Samuel Barlow Primary Academy has 261 pupils on roll.

What age range does Samuel Barlow Primary Academy cover?

Samuel Barlow Primary Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Samuel Barlow Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 31% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Samuel Barlow Primary Academy?

Samuel Barlow Primary Academy is at Church Road, Clipstone, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, NG21 9DF.