Barn Croft Primary School, London
Barn Croft Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in London. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2023. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 791st-highest of the 959 schools in London with published results, and 8,950th of 14,452 across England. It was 81% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2023)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Waltham Forest (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Barn Croft Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 79% of Year 6 pupils at Barn Croft Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 68% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 84% and 84% in Waltham Forest and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 90% in reading and 77% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Barn Croft Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 32 families put Barn Croft Primary School as their first choice and 144 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 9 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Barn Croft Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Barn Croft Primary School are St Saviour's Church of England Primary School (0.3 miles, Outstanding, 92% reading, 95% maths); South Grove Primary School (0.3 miles, Outstanding, 94% reading, 92% maths); Coppermill Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 90% reading, 95% maths); and Edinburgh Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 80% reading, 63% maths).
Barn Croft Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
St Saviour's Church of England Primary SchoolSouth Grove Primary SchoolCoppermill Primary SchoolEdinburgh Primary School
What parents say
72 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Barn Croft Primary School (as of September 2025): 96% would recommend the school, 97% say their child is happy there and 91% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (97%); the weakest, that the school has high expectations for their child (90%).
Who goes there
16.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 30.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (40%), Mixed (14%) and Asian (12%).
In 2026, 30 pupils (17.6%) received SEN support and 19 (11.2%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Staffing
Barn Croft Primary School had 12 teachers in 2026, one for every 14 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is St James Street (London) Rail Station, about 570 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Barn Croft Primary School (->s), 50 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Barn Croft Primary School issued 2 suspensions, 1.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Barn Croft Primary School are Kelmscott School (0.3 miles), Willowfield School (0.7 miles) and Lammas School (0.8 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's July 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Barn Croft excels at creating a happy, safe environment where pupils behave well and develop strong values as responsible citizens. The school prioritises reading and communication skills across all subjects, with excellent support for struggling readers. Staff are well supported and positive about their workplace, and pupils benefit from engaging trips and leadership opportunities that build their confidence and community awareness.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on reading development with phonics teaching, diverse books linked to curriculum, and support for struggling readers - pupils develop a love of reading
- Excellent behaviour and attitudes with a positive, safe learning environment where pupils understand expectations to be 'ready, respectful, and safe'
- Broad, well-constructed curriculum that builds on prior knowledge and helps pupils understand complex subjects
- Pupils develop responsibility and citizenship through leadership roles like peer mentors, playground friends, and school council
- Early years provision is warm and inviting with good outdoor learning supporting physical development
Areas for Improvement
- Curriculum in some subjects is at an earlier stage of design - assessment is not used consistently to check pupils' knowledge, meaning some pupils are not as secure as they should be
- Strategies to support pupils with SEND are not always well matched to their specific needs, limiting their access to the curriculum
- Older pupils have not experienced the revised curriculum throughout their school time, creating gaps in their learning
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with pupils confident in reporting concerns and knowing where to get help.
Extracurricular Activities
Peer mentoring, playground friends, school council, immersive storytelling workshops, educational visits to British Museum and British Library, sensory garden creation, mural painting
Barn Croft is a friendly and welcoming primary school at the heart of its local community where pupils work hard and achieve well. The school has made significant improvements since its previous inspection and now provides a good quality of education.
At a Glance
16.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
72 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 90% to 79% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 77% to 68% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 68% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
23.5
Avg class size
21.0
Infant (KS1)
24.8
KS2
6
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Barn Croft Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Barn Croft Primary School.
- The Strings Club - Walthamstow Holiday Camp (Edinburgh School)910m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Barn Croft Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Barn Croft Primary School is in Waltham Forest; for families living there:
Apply to Waltham Forest for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 66
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 10
- Children hurt
- 5
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 66 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 10 serious and 56 slight.
5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 2 on a bicycle.
18 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Waltham Forest is 66 (the median across 87 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Barn Croft Primary School
Will you get a place at Barn Croft Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Barn Croft Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Barn Croft Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Barn Croft Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Waltham Forest, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Barn Croft Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Waltham Forest got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
81%
Available places
171 pupils
210 places
39 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - London
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for London
Across Waltham Forest council
Places available
3,614
Applications
3,040
Got 1st preference
90.6%
Got preferred school
98.8%
All primary applications across Waltham Forest council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(14)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
30
SEN Support
19
EHC Plans
28.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
170
Total Pupils
87
Boys
83
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
12
Teachers
14.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,043
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,407
Per pupil
£1217k
Total funding
£50k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.8%
Overall absence
5.9%
Persistent absence
153
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Barn Croft Primary School
Questions parents ask about Barn Croft Primary School
What are SATs results like at Barn Croft Primary School?
Of the pupils at Barn Croft Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 79% reached the expected standard in reading and 68% did so in maths.
What is Barn Croft Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Barn Croft Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in April 2023, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Barn Croft Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Barn Croft Primary School is oversubscribed, Waltham Forest allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Barn Croft Primary School?
Barn Croft Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 81% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at Barn Croft Primary School?
Classes at Barn Croft Primary School average 23.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Barn Croft Primary School?
Barn Croft Primary School has around 170 pupils on roll. 17% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Barn Croft Primary School?
3.8% of sessions were missed at Barn Croft Primary School in 2024/25. 5.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Barn Croft Primary School?
Apply through Waltham Forest's coordinated admissions process, naming Barn Croft Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Barn Croft Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of Barn Croft Primary School: The Strings Club - Walthamstow Holiday Camp (Edinburgh School) (910m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Barn Croft Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 66 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 10 serious and 56 slight. 5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 2 on a bicycle. 18 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Waltham Forest is 66 (the median across 87 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Barn Croft Primary School?
Barn Croft Primary School is at 2 Brunel Road, Walthamstow, London, E17 8SB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)