Downs Barn School
69 Downs Barns Boulevard, Downs Barn, Milton Keynes, MK14 7NA
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Community school
- Ages
- 2 to 7
- Gender
- Mixed
- Executive Head
- Mrs Kate Mathews
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Federation
- Boulevard Primary Partnership
- Constituency
- Milton Keynes Central
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 90
- Pupils on roll
- 96
- URN
- 110372
- Local authority
- Milton Keynes
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01908604430
About this school
Downs Barn School is a community primary school in Milton Keynes. It teaches children aged 2 to 7 and has 96 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected Downs Barn School, and its latest judgement is set out below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Seeing a school for yourself shows what no page can, so arrange a visit before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Outstanding
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Trends over time
How Downs Barn School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 5.8% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 6.6% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 7.2% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 90 |
| 2023/24 | 89 |
| 2024/25 | 85 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Downs Barn School compares
Its absence rate was lower than 24% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | — | 7.2% | 28.9% | 96 | — |
| Southwood School | 69% | 4.2% | 43.6% | 170 | 0.3 miles |
| St Monica's Catholic Primary School | 60% | 5.3% | 40% | 381 | 0.5 miles |
| Brooksward School | 76% | 4.5% | 23.7% | 311 | 0.6 miles |
| Germander Park School | — | 7.6% | 65.3% | 110 | 0.7 miles |
| Willen Primary School | 73% | 5.2% | 16.2% | 278 | 1.0 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 28.85%
- English as an additional language
- 65.9%
- Overall absence
- 7.18%
- Persistent absence
- 29.55%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Southwood School0.3 miles
Primary · Milton Keynes
-
St Monica's Catholic Primary School0.5 miles
Primary · Milton Keynes
-
Brooksward School0.6 miles
Primary · Milton Keynes
-
Germander Park School0.7 miles
Primary · Milton Keynes
-
Willen Primary School1.0 miles
Primary · Milton Keynes
Other schools in Milton Keynes
- Abbeys Primary School Primary
- Ashbrook School Primary
- Barleyhurst Park Primary Primary
- Bishop Parker Catholic School Primary
- Bow Brickhill CofE VA Primary School Primary
- Bradwell Village School Primary
- Brooklands Farm Primary School Primary
- Brooksward School Primary
- Broughton Fields Primary School Primary
- Bushfield School Primary
- Caroline Haslett Primary School Primary
- Castlethorpe First School Primary
Common questions
- What ages does Downs Barn School teach?
- Downs Barn School teaches children aged 2 to 7. It is a primary school in Milton Keynes.
- Who is the executive head of Downs Barn School?
- The executive head of Downs Barn School is Mrs Kate Mathews, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Downs Barn School been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Downs Barn School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How many pupils are at Downs Barn School?
- Downs Barn School has 96 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 2 to 7.
- Is Downs Barn School full?
- Downs Barn School has capacity for 90 pupils and 96 on roll (107%), so it is at or above its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Downs Barn School a faith school?
- No. Downs Barn School has no designated religious character.
- Does Downs Barn School have a nursery?
- Yes. The schools register records Downs Barn School as having nursery classes.
- Is Downs Barn School part of an academy trust?
- Downs Barn School is part of the Boulevard Primary Partnership federation. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- What is Downs Barn School's absence rate?
- Downs Barn School's overall absence rate is 7.2% in the latest published census, above the England average of 6.2%.
- Does Downs Barn School publish exam results?
- OfferDay shows exam results for a school only where the Department for Education has published them, and none are shown for Downs Barn School. That is usual for infant, nursery, special and independent schools, and for schools without recent published results.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 29 June 2026.