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St Barnabas Church of England School

St Barnabas Church of England School

North Northamptonshire, NN8 3HBPrimary School·Ages 5-7
Goodby Ofsted

98%

Capacity

177

Pupils

1.7x

Demand

About St Barnabas Church of England School

St Barnabas Church of England School is a small state primary in North Northamptonshire, catering for children aged 5 to 7. It sits within a local authority that contains 111 primary schools, only two of which hold an Outstanding rating from Ofsted. The school’s most recent graded inspection, in 2017, awarded it an overall Good, and an ungraded inspection in 2023 confirmed it remains Good. Among its local peers, the top-ranked schools in the area are Gretton Primary Academy, Stanion Church of England (Aided) Primary School, and Broughton Primary School. St Barnabas itself is a Church of England school, led by headteacher Fiona Hull, and has a capacity of 180 pupils, with 177 currently on roll. Just under a fifth of its pupils are eligible for free school meals, a figure that reflects the school’s inclusive intake.

Academic outcomes data for St Barnabas is limited, as the school only covers Key Stage 1. The most recent Ofsted report, from 2017, rated the school Good overall, with leadership and management also Good. Its early years provision was judged Outstanding, a notable strength given the school’s infant-only intake. The local authority average for Key Stage 2 attainment is 61, but this benchmark does not apply directly to St Barnabas, as its pupils move on to other schools before reaching that stage. The school’s previous Ofsted inspection, in 2014, rated it Inadequate, so the improvement to Good represents a significant turnaround. Parents considering the school will want to note that the most recent graded inspection is now several years old, though the 2023 ungraded visit confirmed the Good rating remains in place.

The school offers a range of facilities including a sports hall, playing fields, a library, art studios, and a sensory room, as well as a chapel reflecting its Church of England character. Clubs include book club, drama, and gardening, while sports on offer are netball, cross country, athletics, and gymnastics. The school has identified SEND provisions for moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and physical disability. For the 2025/26 intake, the school was oversubscribed, with 76 applications for 44 places, and 35 first-preference offers made. This level of demand suggests it is a popular choice among local families, particularly those seeking a small, faith-based infant school with strong early years provision and a clear focus on the youngest primary-age children.

Key Details

School TypePrimary (State)
Age Range5 to 7 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterChurch of England
AddressSt Barnabas Street, Wellingborough, North Northamptonshire, NN8 3HB
HeadteacherFiona Hull
Local AuthorityNorth Northamptonshire
Number of Pupils177
Free School Meals (FSM)19.8%
School Capacity177 / 180 (98% full)

Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

14 Sept 2023
View Report

Overall Effectiveness

Good

Latest inspection (14 Sept 2023): School remains Good

Improved
Leadership & Management
Good

Additional Provisions

Early Years Provision
Outstanding

Source: Ofsted, 12 Oct 2017. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

SEND Support

Mental HealthSpeech & LanguagePhysicalLearning Difficulty

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

Facilities

8
Art StudiosDining HallPlaying FieldsLibraryOutdoor PlaygroundSports HallSensory RoomChapel

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

7

Sports

NetballCross CountryAthleticsGymnastics

Clubs & Activities

Book ClubDramaGardening

Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.

Admissions

2025/26Oversubscribed
Places

44

Applications

76

Good Demand

Popular school with more applications than places

Applications to places ratio1.7x
0x1x2x3x5x+

35 families put this school as their 1st choice (46% of all applications)

Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.

School day

Verified

Teaching hours

08:45 – 15:15

Breakfast club

07:55-08:35

Source: st-barnabas.northants.sch.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.

Class profile

2024/25
Pupils per teacherBottom 25% of schools
25.7pupils per qualified teacher

75% of schools in England do better than this.

Average class sizeBottom 25% of schools
29.5pupils per class

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

2024/25
Free school meals19.8%

Below the national average (25%).

English as additional language24.3%

Above the national median (10%) — a meaningful share speak English as an additional language.

Ethnic background

  • White British53.1%
  • White (other)16.9%
  • Mixed9.7%
  • Asian6.3%
  • Black1.7%

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

2024/25
Overall attendanceBelow average
94.3%

Half of schools in England do better than this.

Persistent absenteesAbove average
13.1%

Better than half of schools in England.

Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.

Fixed-period suspensionsTop 25% of schools
0.0 per 100

Better than 75% of schools in England.

A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.

Permanent exclusionsLike most schools
None

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

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1 mile reference · no real data

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.

19

Total schools

14

Oversubscribed

14

Primary

High competition area

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.

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Frequently Asked Questions About St Barnabas Church of England School

St Barnabas Church of England School has been rated "Good" by Ofsted. This means the school provides a good standard of education and effectively supports all pupils to succeed.

Contact Information

01933445900www.st-barnabas.northants.sch.uk

St Barnabas Street, Wellingborough

North Northamptonshire, NN8 3HB

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St Barnabas Street, Wellingborough

North Northamptonshire, NN8 3HB

Journey to School

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Opening Hours

Monday8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Tuesday8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Wednesday8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Thursday8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Friday8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
SaturdayClosed
SundayClosed

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