Barrowby Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Main findings

The school provides an outstanding education for its pupils.

Not only do they attain high standards in their work but, as parents, pupils and staff all confidently state, the school has a warm and caring atmosphere where pupils are known exceptionally well as individuals. The promotion of pupils' self-worth and the raising of their aspirations and self-esteem are central to the school's work. The school caters exceptionally well for pupils' all-round personal development as well as their academic progress.

Under the guidance of experienced and inspiring leaders, staff are relentless in their pursuit of excellence for all pupils. Staff work exceptionally well as a team, offering one another hi...gh levels of support and encouragement. Through stringent self-evaluation they have a very clear view of the school's strengths and areas for further development.

The areas for improvement raised at the last inspection, as well as areas uncovered by the school's ongoing self review, have been very decisively addressed. Consequently, the school's capacity for further improvement is outstanding. Pupils' behaviour is excellent and their attitude plays a major part in the excellent progress they make in lessons.

Older pupils effectively support younger ones, and, in an atmosphere of mutual support, pupils gain confidence to take risks and 'have a go' without embarrassment or fear of failure. Teachers track pupils' progress very closely. They use this information to make sure that work is keenly matched to pupils' needs and interests, and offers the right level of challenge.

As a result, the progress made by all groups of pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, is equally impressive. Although the attainment of pupils is high in English and mathematics, girls have done better than boys in recent years, in line with the national picture. The school is effectively narrowing the gap and sets itself the challenge of ensuring that boys' attainment consistently matches that of girls, bucking the national trend by eradicating the gap completely.

The school is an exceptionally harmonious community and promotes community cohesion very effectively in its locality. Leaders recognise, however, that there is scope to develop further the school's links with contrasting communities in the United Kingdom and abroad, so that pupils are more fully prepared to take their places confidently as global citizens.

Information about the school

The school is similar in size to the average primary school.

Almost all pupils are of White British heritage, with a very few from other ethnic backgrounds. Very few are at an early stage of learning English as an additional language. The percentage of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, including those with a statement of special educational need, is in line with that found nationally.

The percentage known to be eligible for free school meals is well below the national average. The school has several awards including the Basic Skills Mark. It also has Healthy Schools and Eco-Schools Silver status.