Barnby and North Cove Community Primary School, Beccles

Good
Primary
Academy sponsor led
Mixed
Ages 311

Data last updated 12 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~1.9km)Possible (~2.7km)Unlikely (~3.5km)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mr Simon Lea
Pupils:91 / 105 capacity
LA:Suffolk
Phone:01502476230
Address:The Street, Barnby, Beccles, NR34 7QB
Trust:CONSORTIUM TRUST
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open
Opened:1 September 2017

Ofsted Rating

Good

Overall

URN:144828
UKPRN:10064854
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Lowestoft
Urban/Rural:Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

This is a caring, inclusive school where every child is known well and feels valued. The school excels at supporting pupils with additional needs and those facing disadvantages, helping them progress from their starting points. Children get off to a positive start in the early years and develop strong foundations for learning in a calm, supportive environment.

Key Strengths

  • Strong inclusive culture with effective support for pupils with special educational needs and disadvantaged pupils
  • Calm, purposeful classrooms where pupils behave well and have positive attitudes to learning
  • Excellent early years provision with high levels of engagement and enthusiasm
  • Effective leadership with clear vision and ambitious expectations for all pupils
  • Well-developed personal development programme with enrichment activities and community involvement

Areas for Improvement

  • Teachers need to use their checks on learning more effectively to plan tasks that meet all pupils' needs
  • Pupils need more opportunities to strengthen their writing and deepen subject-specific knowledge
  • Pupil achievement is not as strong as it could be despite recent improvements
  • Some recent leadership actions have yet to be reflected in published assessment outcomes

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, and pupils feel safe.

Extracurricular Activities

Clubs, bio-diversity project, coffee mornings for charity fundraising, diversity champion assemblies, farm visits, plant nursery visits, theme days (Victorian topic)

Barnby and North Cove Community Primary School is a small, friendly school with an inclusive culture where pupils feel safe and valued. Leaders have made significant improvements to the school's inclusive practice, curriculum implementation, attendance, and behaviour following a challenging period.

At a Glance

29.9%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty

SEN Provision

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading+25ppMaths-17ppWriting-8pp

Reading has improved from 58% to 83%. Maths has declined from 67% to 50%. Writing has declined from 58% to 50%.

Class Sizes

11.8

Avg class size

13.0

Infant (KS1)

11.5

KS2

5

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

Welbeck Close (opp)
119m · 2 min walk
Nursery (opp)
348m · 6 min walk
Spinney Close (adj)
371m · 6 min walk
West Cottage (adj)
648m · 11 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

87%

Available places

91 pupils

105 capacity

14 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Beccles

Low pressure
New homes approved:645
Projected new pupils:161

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Beccles

Admissions Demand - Suffolk

Low demand0.73x oversubscription

Places available

8,896

Applications

6,486

Got 1st preference

96.3%

Got preferred school

99.4%

Primary admissions across Suffolk (2025/26)

Inspection History(104)

Date not published by Ofsted
Good
Date not published by Ofsted
Good
Date not published by Ofsted
Good

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

5.76101%

Overall absence

15.15152%

Persistent absence

66

Enrolments

Authorised4.38425%
Unauthorised1.37676%
Persistent (10%+)15.15152%
Severe (50%+)0%

Absence trend

6.09213%
18/19
14.52573%
20/21
11.13568%
21/22
5.95772%
22/23
7.10693%
23/24
5.76101%
24/25
Overall absence rate

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

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