Barrowford School

Barrowford School at a glance

Located in Nelson, Lancashire, Barrowford School is a primary school, classified by the DfE as a community school. The school educates roughly 327 pupils aged 4 to 11. Ofsted judged the school to be 'Good' at its most recent inspection. In the most recent Key Stage 2 SATs, 50% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined — below the national average of 61%. Results have held broadly steady on the previous year. On our composite score, which combines the DfE attainment measures above, this places it in the lower half of primary schools nationally.

Pupils achieved an average scaled score of 104 in reading and 102 in maths (national averages are about 105 and 104). Barrowford School was not oversubscribed for September 2026: all 16 families who put it first were offered a place. Overall pupil absence was 9.9%. There are about 16.4 pupils per teacher. The school serves a community with above-average levels of disadvantage: about 42% of pupils have been eligible for free school meals in the last six years, compared with roughly 24% nationally — useful context when reading the results above. When you visit, you might ask how the school stretches its higher-attaining pupils and supports those who need to catch up. This overview is generated automatically from the latest published DfE performance tables and Ofsted data; figures are rounded, and you can check the originals via the official links above.