Northbury Primary School, Barking

Primary
Community school
Mixed
Ages 311

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~391m)Possible (~558m)Unlikely (~725m)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mr Matthew Murphy
Pupils:832 / 918 capacity
LA:Barking and Dagenham
Phone:02082704750
Address:Northbury Close, Barking, IG11 8JA
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 3 months ago

Report card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)

Achievement
Expected Standard
Behaviour
Expected Standard
Personal Development
Strong Standard
Leadership
Expected Standard
Early Years
Strong Standard
Inspected 2 June 2026View full report
URN:101196
UKPRN:10072903
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Barking
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Northbury Primary School excels at creating an inclusive environment where all pupils thrive. The school provides excellent support for vulnerable pupils through specialist pastoral care, and has successfully closed the gap in mathematics for disadvantaged pupils. Staff are friendly and approachable, and parents feel their children are making real progress because of effective teaching.

Key Strengths

  • Early years provision with strong focus on speech, language and communication development
  • Well-designed, ambitious curriculum that builds knowledge logically across year groups
  • Excellent personal development programme including enriching opportunities like stargazing at Greenwich Observatory
  • Strong pastoral support with Haven room, counselling and drop-in sessions
  • Effective support for disadvantaged pupils, resulting in closing the gap in mathematics achievement

Areas for Improvement

  • Some inconsistencies in expectations around pupils' spoken language across year groups and classes
  • Pupil attendance below national averages, though improving particularly for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND

Safeguarding

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

Extracurricular Activities

Stargazing at Greenwich Observatory, gardening club, international pen-pal programme with Ghana, language of the month events, 50 things to do before leaving Northbury challenge

Northbury Primary School is a large, vibrant, multicultural community where pupils are known, valued and supported to achieve their potential. The school has established a clear direction for improvement with a particular focus on disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs.

At a Glance

19.0%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading+9ppMaths+12ppWriting-8pp

Reading has improved from 70% to 79%. Maths has improved from 70% to 82%. Writing has declined from 80% to 72%.

Class Sizes

27.5

Avg class size

28.8

Infant (KS1)

28.0

KS2

31

Total classes

1 class with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Train Stations

Barking Rail Station
442m · 7 min walk
Barking Station (Entrance)
477m · 8 min walk

Tube / Metro / Tram

Barking Underground Station
428m · 7 min walk

Bus Stops

Cowbridge Lane (Stop SB)
75m · 1 min walk
Harts Lane Estate (->E)
278m · 5 min walk
Park Avenue (IG11) (->S)
347m · 6 min walk
Victoria Road (IG11) (Stop K)
373m · 6 min walk
Barking Town Centre (Stop E)
406m · 7 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

91%

Near capacity

832 pupils

918 capacity

86 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Barking

Low pressure
New homes approved:1,562
Projected new pupils:391

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Barking

Admissions Demand - Barking and Dagenham

Low demand0.75x oversubscription

Places available

4,064

Applications

3,038

Got 1st preference

96.2%

Got preferred school

99.7%

Primary admissions across Barking and Dagenham (2025/26)

Inspection History(8)

2 June 2026Report card
Achievement
Behaviour
Personal Development
Leadership
Early Years
2 February 2022
6 December 2016
Leadership & ManagementGood

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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

5.9474%

Overall absence

16.23816%

Persistent absence

739

Enrolments

Authorised3.61752%
Unauthorised2.32988%
Persistent (10%+)16.23816%
Severe (50%+)1.35318%

Absence trend

4.37563%
18/19
4.58958%
20/21
7.00595%
21/22
7.58798%
22/23
6.76539%
23/24
5.9474%
24/25
Overall absence rate

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

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