Barford Primary School, Norwich

Requires Improvement
Primary
Community school
Mixed
Ages 411

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~1.8km)Possible (~2.5km)Unlikely (~3.3km)Confidence: medium

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Miss Carla Stedman
Pupils:87 / 110 capacity
LA:Norfolk
Phone:01603759660
Address:Chapel Street, Barford, Norwich, NR9 4AB
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Requires Improvement

Overall

URN:120783
UKPRN:10078603
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Mid Norfolk
Urban/Rural:Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

This warm, caring school creates a strong sense of community where pupils feel valued and safe. Staff build excellent relationships with children, helping them develop independence and positive attitudes to learning from the early years onwards. The school is particularly strong at teaching reading through structured phonics, and provides effective support to help all pupils, including those with additional needs, access the curriculum successfully.

Key Strengths

  • Teaching of reading is a particular strength with effective phonics instruction
  • Calm, purposeful classrooms with positive relationships based on empathy, trust and respect
  • Strong early years provision with children making secure progress and developing independence
  • Effective support for pupils with additional needs and disadvantaged pupils
  • Leaders have improved the school while managing financial challenges

Areas for Improvement

  • Writing instruction needs further development, especially for higher-attaining pupils and those with SEND
  • Staff sometimes do not deliver academic interventions consistently or adjust adaptations as effectively as needed
  • Some pupils with additional needs have faced attendance challenges, though progress has been made

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified and managed.

Extracurricular Activities

Arts and culture project, sports, art, music, reading ambassadors, head pupils, eco councillors, wellbeing leaders

Barford Primary School is a small village school where pupils typically achieve well and feel safe. Leaders have developed a strong curriculum with particular strengths in reading, though writing requires further development.

At a Glance

11.5%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading+4ppMaths+6ppWriting+25pp

Reading has improved from 77% to 81%. Maths has improved from 69% to 75%. Writing has improved from 38% to 63%.

Class Sizes

27.3

Avg class size

23.0

Infant (KS1)

29.5

KS2

3

Total classes

1 class with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

79%

Available places

87 pupils

110 capacity

23 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Norwich

Low pressure
New homes approved:8,028
Projected new pupils:2,007

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Norwich

Admissions Demand - Norfolk

Low demand0.78x oversubscription

Places available

9,822

Applications

7,691

Got 1st preference

95.8%

Got preferred school

98.9%

Primary admissions across Norfolk (2025/26)

Inspection History(107)

Date not published by Ofsted
Requires Improvement
Date not published by Ofsted
Requires Improvement
Date not published by Ofsted
Requires Improvement

House Prices

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

5.92271%

Overall absence

11.36364%

Persistent absence

88

Enrolments

Authorised4.94398%
Unauthorised0.97873%
Persistent (10%+)11.36364%
Severe (50%+)2.27273%

Absence trend

4.78037%
18/19
3.22984%
20/21
7.14811%
21/22
8.08301%
22/23
5.48938%
23/24
5.92271%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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