St Barnabas CofE Primary School, Barnetby

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 3 February 2026

The school has been through a period of significant turbulence. Pupils do not benefit from the high-quality education and care that they need to be ready for their next stage of their education. New leaders, who have recently joined the school, recognise this. They are addressing the improvements needed with urgency. Pupils have positive relationships with staff in school. Most pupils say they feel safe. While pupils identify some cases of bullying, they say staff respond to incidents quickly. Pupils benefit from the new morning routines in place. They meet their friends happily on the playground before coming into school safely and calmly. Pupils generally attend well. However, there has been a recent decline in the attendance of some groups of pupils. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders are aware of this and are taking action to address it. Behaviour around school is generally positive. However, during lessons, too many pupils do not engage with their learning. The current curriculum does not meet their needs. In the early years, actions to improve the quality of teaching and learning are at an early stage. There is not the sharp focus needed to develop children’s language and social skills in order to be ready for Year 1. The needs of pupils with SEND are being identified. However, this is not the case for pupils in receipt of pupil premium funding. The school does not provide effective support for these pupils to address their barriers to learning swiftly. The personal development offer for pupils is too narrow. Pupils talk positively of the clubs they can attend at lunchtimes and are keen to share their responsibilities as worship leaders. However, opportunities and experiences to broaden their understanding of life in modern Britain are limited.

What the school should improve

• Those responsible for governance must act with urgency to ensure that leaders have the capacity and support they need to bring about rapid school improvement.
• Leaders must ensure that the provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those in receipt of pupil premium funding accurately identifies and reduces barriers to the learning and achievements of these pupils.
• Leaders must improve the curriculum, across all subjects, so that it identifies clearly the knowledge that pupils need to learn at each stage and that this builds effectively on what pupils know already.
• Leaders must continue their work to upskill staff to ensure that staff deliver the curriculum effectively and in line with leaders’ expectations.
• Leaders must ensure that pupils at all stages secure the foundational knowledge that they need in communication and language, reading, writing and mathematics so that pupils are prepared well for their next steps in learning.
• Leaders must develop the quality of education and provision in the early years, including making sure that staff understand how children learn.
• Leaders should continue to improve pupils’ attendance so that more pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils, attend school every day and on time.
• Leaders should continue their work to ensure that staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour at all times of the school day.
• Leaders should ensure that all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, benefit from a comprehensive personal development programme that offers a wide range of experiences and opportunities.

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