New Barn School is an independent special school in West Berkshire for children and young people aged 6 to 19.
- Ages 6–19
- 71 pupils
- Ofsted: Inadequate
School details
- Type
- Independent special school
- Ages
- 6 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 71 (places for 130)
- Headteacher
- Headteacher Krishna Purbhoo
- Opened
- 17 January 2017
- Council
- West Berkshire
- School reference (URN)
- 144033
How to get a place
4 steps, starting with an EHC plan
- An EHC plan
Places at schools like this usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. If your child doesn’t have one yet, you can ask the council for an assessment yourself.
- Visit and ask questions
See whether the school feels right and whether it can meet your child’s needs. Our list of questions below can help.
- Ask for the school to be named
Tell the council that looks after the plan (often West Berkshire council) that this is the school you want, and ask them to consult it.
- An offer, and the council’s agreement
As an independent school not approved under Section 41, it doesn’t have to accept a place: the school has to offer one, and the council has to agree to name it in the plan.
Questions to ask when you visit
8 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them on the day.
Ofsted
Rated Inadequate, September 2025; did not meet all standards that were checked (April 2026)
Rated Inadequate at its last graded inspection, in September 2025.
- Quality of educationInadequate
- Behaviour and attitudesRequires improvement
- Personal developmentRequires improvement
- Leadership and managementInadequate
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: Did not meet all standards that were checked (monitoring visit, April 2026).
Independent school standards: did not meet all standards.
Contact and getting there
Welford, Newbury, RG20 8HZ
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
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The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- Mary Hare School Special school · Ages 4–19 · Ofsted: Good 3.7 miles
- iCollege Alternative Provision Alternative provision · Ages 5–19 · Ofsted report card (2026) 4.3 miles
- The Castle School Special school · Ages 3–19 · Ofsted: Outstanding 4.6 miles
All SEND schools in West Berkshire
By need in West Berkshire: Autism (6) · Hearing (4) · SEMH (2) · Moderate learning (2) · Severe learning (2) · PMLD (2) · Dyslexia and SpLD (2) · Physical (2)
Questions about New Barn School
How do I get a place at New Barn School?
There’s no catchment area or application round. Places usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan: ask the council that looks after the plan to consult New Barn School. As an independent school not approved under Section 41, it has to offer a place and the council has to agree to name it.
What ages does New Barn School take?
Aged 6 to 19, boys and girls.
What is New Barn School’s Ofsted rating?
There’s no overall grade to show. Read the school’s latest inspection report on the Ofsted website.
Where is New Barn School?
Welford, Newbury, RG20 8HZ, in West Berkshire.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.