Barrowford School
Rushton Street, Nelson, BB9 6EA
312 pupils · 74% of 420 capacity
- Phase
- Primary
- Type
- Community school
- Ages
- 4–11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Does not apply
- Local authority
- Lancashire
- Free school meals
- 44.2%
Ofsted
Needs attention (2026) — Report card — the most common grade across the inspected areas
| Inclusion | Expected standard |
|---|---|
| Curriculum and teaching | Needs attention |
| Achievement | Needs attention |
| Attendance and behaviour | Needs attention |
| Personal development and wellbeing | Expected standard |
| Leadership and governance | Needs attention |
| Early years | Needs attention |
| Safeguarding | Met |
Inspected 21 April 2026, published 7 June 2026. Read the full Ofsted report
England has three coexisting inspection systems — how we translate them into one signal.
Exam results
| Measure | 2024/25 |
|---|---|
| Reaching the expected standard in reading, writing & maths | 50% |
| Reaching the higher standard | 0% |
“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 — 0.84 first-choice applications per place (Sept 2026 entry)
| Entry | Places | 1st preferences | Total preferences | Offers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 2026 entry | 19 | 16 | 47 | 19 |
| Sept 2025 entry | 29 | 29 | 50 | 29 |
| Sept 2024 entry | 20 | 18 | 52 | 20 |
| Sept 2023 entry | 27 | 23 | 54 | 26 |
| Sept 2022 entry | 18 | 15 | 48 | 18 |
| Sept 2021 entry | 23 | 20 | 49 | 23 |
| Sept 2020 entry | 43 | 25 | 45 | 27 |
| Sept 2019 entry | 27 | 20 | 56 | 25 |
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
- Barrowford St Thomas Church of England Primary School 0.7 km · Outstanding (2023) · previous system
- Holy Saviour Roman Catholic Primary School, Nelson 0.7 km · Good — confirmed 2024 · previous system
- Bradley Primary School 1.2 km · Good — confirmed 2024 · previous system
- Lomeshaye Junior School 1.6 km · Good — confirmed 2022 · previous system
- Nelson St Philip's Church of England Primary School 1.6 km · Good (2023) · previous system
- Whitefield Infant School and Nursery 1.7 km · No overall grade (2025)
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.