Barnwell School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 6 January 2026

Pupils typically enjoy learning at Barnwell School. They increasingly benefit from an ambitious, well-thought-out curriculum and engaging lessons. Consequently, pupils who attend well learn and achieve well. They gain the important knowledge they need to do their best and to move on to their next steps. However, a significant proportion of pupils do not attend school regularly. As a result, these pupils develop gaps in their knowledge and do not achieve highly. Staff are fully committed to ensuring that every pupil enjoys school and gets the support they need. Staff know pupils, including students in the sixth form, very well. Staff tirelessly identify pupils' individual needs and support them to tackle any barriers to their personal development and learning. If pupils require specialist help or guidance, staff provide or arrange this in a timely way. The vast majority of pupils conduct themselves very well around school and in lessons. Pupils say that the school is a safe and positive place to be. They have positive relationships with each other and with staff. If pupils find it hard to meet leaders’ high expectations for their behaviour, staff provide the support they need to improve. Pupils look out for each other. For instance, sixth form students enjoy listening to younger pupils read to help them improve their reading knowledge and skills. Pupils develop their character and broaden their interests through the school’s extensive personal development programme. There is a wide range of enrichment activities, such as boxing, science events and sporting competitions. Pupils meet a wide range of employers as they learn about the world of work. This enables them to make informed choices about the next stage in their education, employment or training. Pupils gain an understanding of the importance of diversity when they learn about the cultures and heritages of pupils at the school.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that effective strategies are in place to improve attendance for all groups of pupils.
• Leaders should continue to support staff to embed and sustain high-quality teaching across the curriculum so that all pupils achieve highly.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)