Barnwell School
Barnwell, Stevenage, SG2 9SW
1,270 pupils · 80% of 1,590 capacity
- Phase
- Secondary
- Type
- Foundation school
- Ages
- 11–18
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Does not apply
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Local authority
- Hertfordshire
- Sixth form
- Yes
- Free school meals
- 31.3%
Ofsted
Expected standard (2026) — Report card — the most common grade across the inspected areas
| Inclusion | Strong standard |
|---|---|
| Curriculum and teaching | Expected standard |
| Achievement | Needs attention |
| Attendance and behaviour | Needs attention |
| Personal development and wellbeing | Expected standard |
| Leadership and governance | Expected standard |
| Post-16 | Expected standard |
| Safeguarding | Met |
Inspected 6 January 2026, published 28 May 2026. Read the full Ofsted report
England has three coexisting inspection systems — how we translate them into one signal.
Exam results
| Measure | 2024/25 |
|---|---|
| Attainment 8 score | 41.5 |
| Grade 5 or above in English & maths (strong pass) | 37.4% |
| Grade 4 or above in English & maths (standard pass) | 58.7% |
| Entering the English Baccalaureate | 13.6% |
Progress 8 is not published nationally for 2024/25 and 2025/26 while KS2 baselines are missing (no SATs in 2020/21). It returns from 2026/27.
“Not published (small cohort)” means the DfE suppressed the figure to protect small cohorts — it is not a zero.
Will my child get in?
Usually has places available — 0.48 first-choice applications per place (Sept 2026 entry)
| Entry | Places | 1st preferences | Total preferences | Offers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 2026 entry | 195 | 94 | 246 | 148 |
| Sept 2025 entry | 226 | 125 | 297 | 179 |
| Sept 2024 entry | 250 | 176 | 370 | 214 |
| Sept 2023 entry | 287 | 152 | 366 | 211 |
| Sept 2022 entry | 247 | 150 | 381 | 212 |
| Sept 2021 entry | 258 | 162 | 381 | 220 |
| Sept 2020 entry | 231 | 132 | 357 | 183 |
| Sept 2019 entry | 262 | 148 | 397 | 204 |
First-choice demand varies year to year, and the school’s admission criteria — not demand — decide who is offered a place. Use this as a rough signal, never a prediction.
Nearby alternatives
- Marriotts School 1.5 km · Most areas: Expected standard (2026)
- The Nobel School 2.4 km · Good — confirmed 2023 · previous system
- Barclay Academy 3.5 km · Good (2023) · previous system
- The Thomas Alleyne Academy 3.7 km · Standards maintained (2024)
- The Saint John Henry Newman Catholic School 4.3 km · Good — confirmed 2024 · previous system
- Monk's Walk School 8.2 km · Good — confirmed 2023 · previous system
Straight-line distance — not travel time, and not a catchment. Same phase, open schools only.
Data from DfE and Ofsted open data (OGL v3) — sources. School record updated 10 July 2026. Report incorrect data.