Primary school in Beccles, Suffolk
Barnby and North Cove Community Primary School
The Street, Barnby, Beccles, Suffolk, NR34 7QB
Ofsted
Inspected under the current framework, which gives no overall grade, on 19 May 2026.
Inspections since September 2024 do not give an overall grade, so there is no one-word judgement to report. The full report sets out what inspectors found.
Key stage 2 results 2024/25
Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Reached the higher standard
Average reading score
Average maths score
On the headline measure this school is in the bottom 10% of state-funded primaries in England.
Compared with the fifth of schools whose intake is least disadvantaged, which is where this one sits, it is in the bottom quarter.
There are no progress measures for primary schools any more. They were calculated from a key stage 1 baseline, and statutory key stage 1 tests ended in 2023, so nothing has been published since. That makes attainment the only official measure — and attainment tracks intake closely, which is why the comparison against similar schools above is the more useful of the two lines.
Pupils
- Pupils on roll
- 91
- Places
- 105
- How full
- 87% full — 91 of 105 places taken
- Girls / boys
- 39 / 52
- Overall absence
- 6%
- Persistently absent
- 15%
primary schools average 5.2%
primary schools average 12.8% — pupils missing 10% or more of sessions
- Free school meals, last 6 years
- 24%
- English as an additional language
- 0%
- With an EHC plan
- 10%
- On SEN support
- 13%
England 25.7%
England 18.7%
England 3.5%
England 15%
The neighbourhood around the school
Census 2021 figures for East Suffolk 011D, the statistical neighbourhood the school sits in — roughly 1,500 residents. It describes the area, not the pupils, who may travel in from further away.
- Adults with a degree
- 30%
- Adults with no qualifications
- 16%
- Households owning their home
- 87%
- Households in social housing
- 4%
- Households with no car
- 7%
- Adults economically inactive
- 44%
England 33.8%
England 18.3%
England 62.7%
England 17%
England 21.9%
England 39.9%
School details
- Type
- Academy sponsor led
- Phase
- Primary
- Ages
- Ages 3–11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- None
- Sixth form
- No
- Nursery
- Yes
- Boarding
- Day school
- Trust
- CONSORTIUM TRUST
- Headteacher
- Headteacher: Simon Lea
- Local authority
- Suffolk
- Ward
- Beccles & Worlingham
- Constituency
- Lowestoft
- URN
- 144828
The unique reference number used in all official school data.
Nearest primary schools
| School | Ofsted | Expected standard | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worlingham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolVoluntary controlled school | No grade | 59% | 1.8 mi |
| Carlton Colville Primary SchoolAcademy converter | No grade | — | 2.4 mi |
| Beccles Primary AcademyAcademy sponsor led | Good 2022 | 50% | 2.4 mi |
| The Old SchoolOther independent school | No grade | — | 2.6 mi |
| Grove Primary SchoolAcademy sponsor led | Good 2022 | 68% | 2.7 mi |
| Ravensmere Infant SchoolAcademy converter | Good 2023 | — | 3 mi |
| The Albert Pye Community Primary SchoolAcademy converter | Good 2024 | 82% | 3 mi |
| Elm Tree Primary SchoolAcademy sponsor led | Good 2022 | 81% | 3.3 mi |
Schools with a similar intake
State-funded primary schools nationally whose share of disadvantaged pupils is closest to this school's. This is the fairest like-for-like comparison the published data supports.
| School | Ofsted | Expected standard |
|---|---|---|
| Holy Ghost Catholic Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school | Good 2024 | 86% |
| St Anselm's Catholic Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school | Outstanding 2023 | 81% |
| Monken Hadley CofE Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school | Outstanding 2023 | 88% |
| St Mary's Church of England Primary School, HawkshawVoluntary aided school | No grade | 64% |
| St Michael's Church of England Primary School, AlkringtonVoluntary aided school | No grade | 65% |
| Moss Hey Primary SchoolCommunity school | No grade | 81% |
| Oxspring Primary SchoolCommunity school | Good 2024 | 78% |
| Silkstone Primary SchoolCommunity school | Good 2023 | 83% |
Where these figures come from
- School details, address and pupil numbers — Get Information About Schools, the DfE register, as at 14 August 2026.
- Exam results — DfE performance tables, 2024/25.
- Free school meals, EAL and SEN — school census, 2024/25.
- Ofsted — Ofsted management information, latest inspections as at 30 June 2026.
- Neighbourhood figures — ONS Census 2021, lower layer super output area.
All published under the Open Government Licence v3.0. If something here looks wrong, the school's own website is the authority on admissions and open days.