Barnes Farm Primary School
87%
Capacity
551
Pupils
2.1x
Demand
About Barnes Farm Primary School
Barnes Farm Primary School sits within the Essex local authority, a large county with 444 primary schools, of which 33 hold an Outstanding rating from Ofsted. The school itself is rated Good, a grade it has maintained since its most recent graded inspection in 2014, and was confirmed as still Good in an ungraded visit in 2022. Among its local peers, the top-ranked schools in Essex include St Thomas More's Catholic Primary School in Colchester and Stambridge Primary School, both with perfect ranking scores, followed closely by Great Totham Primary School. For families prioritising an Outstanding rating, the nearest such school is Chancellor Park Primary School, just 0.4 km away in Chelmsford. Barnes Farm is a mixed, non-religious state primary for children aged 5 to 11, led by headteacher Zanya Farmer, and currently educates 551 pupils against a capacity of 630.
Academic outcomes at Barnes Farm are not detailed in the most recent data, but the school’s Ofsted history provides useful context. Its previous graded inspection in 2008 awarded Outstanding overall, with top marks for leadership, management, and early years provision. The 2014 graded inspection saw the overall effectiveness drop to Good, with leadership and management also rated Good. The 2022 ungraded inspection confirmed the school remains Good, suggesting consistent standards. The local authority average for Key Stage 2 attainment is 62, though Barnes Farm’s own KS2 results are not available here. The school serves a community where 15.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, slightly above the national average, indicating a mixed intake. Without published Progress 8 or SATs scores, parents may want to request these directly from the school or check the DfE performance tables for the most recent year.
The school offers a solid range of facilities, including a library, playing fields, sports hall, ICT suite, music rooms, and a chapel. Sports provision covers swimming, rounders, dance, cross country, gymnastics, and football, while extracurricular clubs include chess, book club, choir, film club, science club, and eco club. For children with additional needs, Barnes Farm supports eight SEND categories, including dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social and emotional mental health, speech and language communication, hearing and visual impairments, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. Admissions for the 2025/26 year show the school is oversubscribed: 126 applications for 60 places, with 72 first-preference applications and 56 first-preference offers, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.1. This suggests strong local demand, and families should consider applying as a first preference to maximise their chance of a place.
Key Details
| School Type | Primary (State) |
| Age Range | 5 to 11 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Henniker Gate, Chelmsford, Chelmsford, CM2 6QH |
| Headteacher | Zanya Farmer |
| Local Authority | Essex |
| Number of Pupils | 551 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 15.1% |
| School Capacity | 551 / 630 (87% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
12 Oct 2022Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (12 Oct 2022): School remains Good
Source: Ofsted, 29 Apr 2014. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
6Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
12Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed60
126
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
72 families put this school as their 1st choice (57% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Above the national median (10%) — a meaningful share speak English as an additional language.
Ethnic background
- White British64.4%
- Asian9.0%
- White (other)8.2%
- Mixed7.5%
- Black0.2%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/25Half of schools in England do better than this.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
5
Total schools
5
Oversubscribed
5
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
Frequently Asked Questions About Barnes Farm Primary School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
How to Choose a Primary School
Step-by-step guide to choosing the right primary school
KS2 SATs Explained
A parent's guide to Year 6 SATs and how results are reported
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Contact Information
Henniker Gate, Chelmsford
Chelmsford, CM2 6QH
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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