Barlow CofE Primary School
Millcross Lane, Barlow, Dronfield, S18 7TA
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Voluntary controlled school
- Ages
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Headteacher
- Mrs Penny Watkin
- Diocese
- Diocese of Derby
- Constituency
- North East Derbyshire
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 87
- Pupils on roll
- 86
- URN
- 112798
- Local authority
- Derbyshire
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01142890413
About this school
Barlow CofE Primary School is a Church of England voluntary controlled primary school in Dronfield. It teaches children aged 4 to 11 and has 86 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected Barlow CofE Primary School, and its latest judgement is set out below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Confirmed by a short inspection, not a full one
Ofsted's most recent visit was a short inspection on 15 February 2024, where inspectors confirmed the school remains Good. The school's last full inspection took place before September 2019, so its area grades are not part of Ofsted's current published data. Older reports are on the school's Ofsted page.
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 10 | 10 | 11 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 50% | 60% | 55% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 10% | 0% | 0% |
| Expected standard in reading | 50% | 70% | 64% |
| Expected standard in maths | 70% | 90% | 73% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 40% | 50% | 55% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 102.0 | 103.0 | 102.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 102.0 | 106.0 | 101.0 |
| Reading progress | -4.40 | - | - |
| Writing progress | +1.20 | - | - |
| Maths progress | -1.20 | - | - |
Progress measures ended nationally after the 2022/23 school year, when the key stage 1 assessments they were based on were stopped. Blank progress figures in later years are not missing school data.
Trends over time
How Barlow CofE Primary 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 | Derbyshire average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 50% | 58.1% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 60% | 56.8% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 55% | 57.9% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 4.6% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 5.7% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 4.4% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 85 |
| 2023/24 | 87 |
| 2024/25 | 81 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Barlow CofE Primary School compares
Barlow CofE Primary School ranked 162nd of 246 primary schools in Derbyshire for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 30% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 74% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 55% | 4.4% | 14.8% | 86 | — |
| Cutthorpe Primary School | 40% | 3.2% | 3.8% | 110 | 1.1 miles |
| Dunston Primary and Nursery Academy | 31% | 6% | 60.4% | 227 | 2.0 miles |
| St Andrew's CofE Methodist (Aided) Primary School | 76% | 3% | 8.2% | 193 | 2.0 miles |
| Dronfield Junior School | 59% | 3.8% | 17.8% | 319 | 2.0 miles |
| Dronfield Infant School | — | 4.2% | 13% | 199 | 2.0 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)
- 14.81%
- English as an additional language
- 0%
- Overall absence
- 4.41%
- Persistent absence
- 8.33%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Cutthorpe Primary School1.1 miles
Primary · Chesterfield
-
Dunston Primary and Nursery Academy2.0 miles
Primary · Chesterfield
-
St Andrew's CofE Methodist (Aided) Primary School2.0 miles
Primary · Dronfield
-
Dronfield Junior School2.0 miles
Primary · Dronfield
-
Dronfield Infant School2.0 miles
Primary · Dronfield
Other schools in Dronfield
Barlow CofE Primary School ranks 9th of the 9 ranked primary schools in Dronfield.
- Dronfield Infant School Primary
- Dronfield Junior School Primary
- Dronfield Stonelow Junior School Primary
- Gorseybrigg Primary School and Nursery Primary
- Holmesdale Infant School Primary
- Lenthall Infant and Nursery School Primary
- Northfield Junior School Primary
- Penny Acres Primary School Primary
- St Andrew's CofE Methodist (Aided) Primary School Primary
- Unstone Junior School Primary
- Unstone St Mary's Nursery & Infant School Primary
- William Levick Primary School Primary
Common questions
- What ages does Barlow CofE Primary School teach?
- Barlow CofE Primary School teaches children aged 4 to 11. It is a primary school in Dronfield.
- Who is the headteacher of Barlow CofE Primary School?
- The headteacher of Barlow CofE Primary School is Mrs Penny Watkin, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Barlow CofE Primary School been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Barlow CofE Primary 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 Barlow CofE Primary School?
- Barlow CofE Primary School has 86 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 4 to 11.
- Is Barlow CofE Primary School full?
- Barlow CofE Primary School has capacity for 87 pupils and 86 on roll (99%), so it is close to full. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Barlow CofE Primary School a faith school?
- Yes. Barlow CofE Primary School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Derby.
- Does Barlow CofE Primary School have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records Barlow CofE Primary School as having no nursery classes.
- How have Barlow CofE Primary School's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 50% in 2022/23 and 55% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does Barlow CofE Primary School compare with other schools in Derbyshire?
- Barlow CofE Primary School ranked 162nd of 246 primary schools in Derbyshire for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 30% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 74% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Barlow CofE Primary School's absence rate?
- Barlow CofE Primary School's overall absence rate is 4.4% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Barlow CofE Primary School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Barlow CofE Primary School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
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.