Barnburgh Primary Academy

Barnburgh Primary Academy is a friendly, inclusive school where pupils feel safe and achieve well overall. This was its first inspection since joining Leger Education Trust in August 2023, and many leaders and staff remain from the predecessor school. Safeguarding standards are met. Inspectors found particularly strong practice in attendance and behaviour, early years, inclusion, leadership and governance, and personal development and wellbeing. Pupils attend more regularly than the national average, behave well, and benefit from an excellent early years start and a rich wider programme. Inclusion is a real strength, with effective transition and swift identification of SEND. Performance is more mixed in achievement and curriculum and teaching, which are judged at the expected standard. Key stage 2 outcomes are broadly in line with national averages, with reading and writing above national in the latest year, but leaders recognise more work is needed for all pupils, including some disadvantaged pupils, to achieve the highest possible outcomes. Disadvantaged pupils' key stage 2 attainment remains a priority, and historical data show a large gap, although recent cohorts are small and some data are suppressed. Teaching is generally effective, but not all staff apply agreed strategies with the same refinement seen in early years. The report's next step is for leaders to refine teaching further so all pupils achieve as highly as they can, including securing outcomes above national averages for all groups at key stage 2. Overall, this is a school with substantial strengths, a clear improvement trajectory and a focused agenda for the next stage.

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met with an open culture of safeguarding.
• Pupils attend more regularly than the national average and persistent absence has reduced.
• Pupils behave consistently to a high standard and bullying is rare.
• Early years provides an excellent start with strong transition arrangements.
• Inclusion is a real strength, with swift SEND identification and effective support.
• Leadership and governance are strong, with aligned school and trust ambition.
• Staff feel valued and supported, and parents are overwhelmingly positive.
• Personal development is at the heart of the school's offer and is rich and cohesive.
• Pupils benefit from a wide range of clubs, visits and leadership opportunities.
• Phonics attainment is in line with national and the Year 4 multiplication check is above national.
• Children in early years attain particularly well and are well prepared for key stage 1.
• Pupils with SEND make secure progress from their starting points.

Areas for Improvement

• Key stage 2 outcomes are broadly in line with national averages rather than consistently exceeding them.
• Disadvantaged pupils' attainment at the end of key stage 2 remains a priority.
• Historical disadvantaged pupil gap was large in 2023/24, though recent data are suppressed due to small cohorts.
• Teaching is not consistently refined to the same high level as in early years.
• Leaders need to ensure all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, achieve the highest possible outcomes.

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 Barnburgh Primary Academy attended 95.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.9% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Barnburgh 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 Barnburgh Primary Academy had 20.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 8.5% 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, 13.8% of pupils at Barnburgh Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.7% 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 Barnburgh Primary Academy received £6,722 and spent £6,895 for each of its 221 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £74,000 (-£335 per pupil).

Across all 8 schools of Leger Education Trust, income was £7,997 and spending £7,894 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 Doncaster · Doncaster local authority: places and applications

Barnburgh Primary Academy is part of Leger Education Trust, which runs 8 schools. The nearest others:

• Ridgewood School Doncaster
• Scawthorpe Castle Hills Primary Academy Doncaster
• Askern Littlemoor Infant Academy Doncaster
• Spa Academy Askern Doncaster
• Campsmount Academy Doncaster
• Askern Moss Road Infant Academy Doncaster
• Tornedale Infant Academy Doncaster

What is Barnburgh Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Barnburgh Primary Academy is Expected standard, from an inspection in October 2026.

When was Barnburgh Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Barnburgh Primary Academy was last inspected in October 2026.

How many pupils does Barnburgh Primary Academy have?

Barnburgh Primary Academy has 232 pupils on roll.

What age range does Barnburgh Primary Academy cover?

Barnburgh Primary Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 69% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Barnburgh Primary Academy?

Barnburgh Primary Academy is at Church Lane, Barnburgh, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN5 7EZ.