Dear Parent/Carer,

Welcome to Great Barton Church of England Primary Academy.

Great Barton CE Primary Academy is a mixed Church of England school for children aged between 4 and 11 years, situated in an attractive village close to the market town of Bury St Edmunds.  We serve the villages of Great Barton and Great Livermere but are happy to welcome children from outside the traditional catchment area. Many of our children come from Bury St Edmunds and the surrounding villages. In 2014, as part of the School Re-organisation Review) we became a full primary (Reception - Year 6), with a smart new building for our Year 5 and 6 pupils.

We aim for every child at our school to have a happy and successful primary education in a supportive, stimulating environment.  The primary years of a child’s education are vital in laying the foundation for a lifetime of learning.  Visitors frequently comment on the calm, happy and purposeful atmosphere throughout the school.

Members of staff are very experienced and work hard as a team to plan and teach the curriculum to ensure that each child’s progress through the school is as smooth as possible.  The quality and commitment of our staff ensures that children are put at the heart of everything we do. 

We are proud of the opportunities we offer our children, the close partnership between parents, governors and staff, and the achievements of our pupils.  Parents are encouraged to come into school regularly and to help out with a wide range of activities.  The children benefit greatly from this partnership and we welcome the enormous support that parents give their children.

Our last OFSTED inspection was held in January 2009.  The report, is available from the school or by following these links http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/oxeduproviders/full/(urn)/124697. or https://www.greatbartonprimaryschool.co.uk/ofsted-and-siams-reports/ 

The school was described as:

‘an outstanding school … the school fosters enjoyment of learning, confidence and self-esteem extremely well because of the rich and stimulating curriculum as well as the high levels of care, support and guidance provided for them by all adults.’

Since the last inspection, the school has increased in size - we have capacity for 210 pupils, one class of 30 children per year group - and formed a Multi-Academy Trust with three local primary schools (January 2016). We have worked hard to maintain our standards of education and care through this time of change.

As a Church of England school, we are also receive a Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS) under Section 48 of the Education Act 2005.  Our latest report (July 2019), for which we received a 'good' grade, states:

This report is also available from the school, free of charge or by following this link

Thedwastre Education Trust

On 1 January 2016, the school became an academy. Together with three local primary schools, we have formed our own education trust, Thedwastre Education Trust (TET). As small rural schools, we recognise the value in working collaboratively to improve outcomes for all our children. TET provides a supportive structure within which we will maintain our individual school identities, whilst offering extended opportunities for all pupils and staff to share best practice and offer challenge between schools. The website for the Thedwastre Education Trust can be found here

The academy is also part of the Thurston Partnership, a thriving group of seventeen local schools in the Thurston area.

We hope you find the information you need on our website.  There is no real substitute for visiting us, however, and we warmly welcome prospective parents to the school to meet the staff and children and to see our facilities.  You will then see for yourself the happy and caring atmosphere, the quality of the learning environment, the standard of work and behaviour and the positive attitudes of those who work and study here.

We are proud of the achievements of our school community and look forward to meeting you.