School Chooser

St Barnabas Church of England School

Primary · ages 5-7MixedAcademyChurch of England170 pupilsWellingboroughNorth Northamptonshire
School Chooser Score
32
Below
similar schools
Likely range 14 to 61, so it could be “in line”
Out of 100. Better than 10% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, September 2023
Attendance94.4%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families20%A bit fewer than most schools
Places10 spare170 pupils, 180 places
Pupils per teacher22.1School workforce census
Pupils on roll170Census January 2026

St Barnabas Church of England School is a sponsored academy in Wellingborough for boys and girls aged 5 to 7. It has 170 pupils and room for 180. About 20 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools. We give it 32 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 10% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

St Barnabas Street, Wellingborough, NN8 3HB01933 445900st-barnabas.northants.sch.ukMrs Fiona Hull headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 14 September 2023 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.

Results

No published results yet for this school.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Nearly full175 pupils for 180 places, 2024/25
97% full

Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to North Northamptonshire council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll170Census January 2026
Places18094% full
Pupils from low-income families20%20% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English21%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support10%17 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan8%13 pupils with a plan
Average class size28.36 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)18%£44,950 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls89 / 81
White British pupils54%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (20), Moderate learning difficulty (5), emotional and mental health (3), Hearing impairment (1), Specific learning difficulty (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll170177171177175176
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals20%20%20%22%20%17%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language21%24%28%19%15%17%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support10%12%16%19%14%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans6%1%1%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.4% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance94.4%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school13.1%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils4.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.9%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.7%6.5%6.4%7.6%2.7%4.3%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.7%4.9%5.1%6.8%1.9%3.5%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.9%1.6%1.3%0.8%0.8%0.9%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence13.1%18.0%20.7%24.6%5.7%8.9%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate4.00.00.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers7.7full-time equivalent, 12 people
Pupils per teacher22.1Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers83%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants8.2full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£49,792
Teachers who left in the year8%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher2.12024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£6,475England £7,128. Total £1.1m
Income per pupil£6,904England £7,587. Total £1.2m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,893England £3,405
Money in reserve15%A healthy amount put by: £188k, £1,063 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£76kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,475spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m86812 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate273 per 1,000 people201% higher than the England average
Typical house price£265,000North Northamptonshire
Nearest bus stop160 mNorthampton Road, 16 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Freemans Endowed Church of England Junior AcademyAcademy190 m239No overall grade 202460Compare
Croyland Primary SchoolCouncil480 m414Good 202115Compare
The Avenue Infant SchoolCouncil820 m165Good 202333Compare
Park Junior School, WellingboroughAcademy850 m237Not inspected30Compare
Our Lady's Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy940 m303Requires improvement 20243Compare
All Saints CEVA Primary School and NurseryChurch of England0.7 miles242Good 202276Compare
Warwick AcademyAcademy0.9 miles258Good 202328Compare
Olympic PrimaryAcademy0.9 miles400Good 202389Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares St Barnabas Church of England School with the 48 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats10%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 32 is 30 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 10 · middle 62 · highest 95100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 32 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 32% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 14 to 61. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years0%no data
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.03
Ofsted grade, 3.0 years old
Progress pupils make0%no data
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.23
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
-0.02
2024/25; 122 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils0%no data
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is St Barnabas Church of England School a good school?

The figures are weak. St Barnabas Church of England School scores 32 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 10% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 14 to 61, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is St Barnabas Church of England School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated St Barnabas Church of England School good at its last full inspection on 14 September 2023.

How many pupils does St Barnabas Church of England School have?

170 pupils aged 5 to 7 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 180 places, so it is 94% full.

Is St Barnabas Church of England School oversubscribed?

Often. Fewer than one place in twenty was empty in 2024/25, so popular year groups fill up.

What is attendance like at St Barnabas Church of England School?

Pupils were in school 94.4% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 13% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at St Barnabas Church of England School?

The average class had 28.3 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
St Barnabas Street, Wellingborough, NN8 3HB
Telephone
01933 445900
Website
www.st-barnabas.northants.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Fiona Hull
Type of school
Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 5-7
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Peterborough
Multi-academy trust
Peterborough Diocese Education Trust (36 schools)
Local authority
North Northamptonshire
Ward
Brickhill & Queensway
Constituency
Wellingborough and Rushden
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 October 2014 (new provision)
URN
141230 · LAESTAB 9402168 · UKPRN 10047014
Formerly
St Barnabas Church of England School

Where these figures come from