Barndale School, Alnwick
Barndale School is a special school for pupils aged 4 to 19 in Alnwick. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2024.
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Barndale School in detail
Who goes there
51.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 0% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Barndale School has an education, health and care plan (110 of 110 in 2026). The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Barndale School has a resourced provision (110 places, 110 pupils on roll) and a SEN unit (110 places, 110 pupils on roll) for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment and moderate learning difficulties.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Barndale School.
19 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Duchess High School (near), 60 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Barndale School issued 10 suspensions, 11.1 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its April 2024 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
51.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
Resourced provision and SEN unit: SpLD, Vision, Hearing +5
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 0% to 10% (2024 to 2025), while maths has improved from 0% to 10% (2024 to 2025).
Social & online
Keep up with Barndale School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Barndale School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Barndale School is in Northumberland; for families living there:
Apply to Northumberland for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 14
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 9 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
2 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 Northumberland is 3 (the median across 175 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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
92%
Near capacity
110 pupils
120 places
10 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Alnwick
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Alnwick
Across Northumberland council
Places available
2,104
Applications
1,819
Got 1st preference
96.0%
Got preferred school
97.7%
All secondary applications across Northumberland council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
110
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Barndale School has a resourced provision (110 places, 110 pupils on roll) and a SEN unit (110 places, 110 pupils on roll) for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment and moderate learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
110
Total Pupils
76
Boys
34
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
14
Teachers
7.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£55,100
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
10.1%
Overall absence
35.3%
Persistent absence
68
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about Barndale School
What are SATs results like at Barndale School?
Of the pupils at Barndale School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 10% reached the expected standard in reading and 10% did so in maths.
What is Barndale School's Ofsted rating?
Barndale School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in April 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2019 it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Barndale School?
No fixed boundary. When Barndale School is oversubscribed, Northumberland allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Barndale School?
Barndale School has around 110 pupils on roll. 52% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Barndale School have specialist SEN provision?
Barndale School has a resourced provision (110 places, 110 pupils on roll) and a SEN unit (110 places, 110 pupils on roll) for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment and moderate learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Barndale School?
10.1% of sessions were missed at Barndale School in 2024/25. 35.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Barndale School?
Apply through Northumberland's coordinated admissions process, naming Barndale School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Barndale School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 9 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 2 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 Northumberland is 3 (the median across 175 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Barndale School?
Barndale School is at Howling Lane, Alnwick, Northumberland, NE66 1DQ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)