Fairburn Community Primary School Review 2026: A small village school with exceptionally strong outcomes

For a school with a capacity of 83 pupils, Fairburn Community Primary School manages to feel both intimate and ambitious. It is a small setting where pupils are expected to work hard, speak confidently, and take responsibility for one another, with staff placing heavy emphasis on character as well as attainment.

The most recent Key Stage 2 picture is striking. In 2024, 91% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, compared with an England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 36.33% reached greater depth, well above the England average of 8%. Those outcomes align with the school’s FindMySchool ranking position, which places it well above England average (top 10%) for primary outcomes.

Leadership is clearly identifiable. The head teacher is Mrs Emma Cornhill, who also teaches part time and holds several key responsibilities within the school.

A strong sense of shared expectations runs through the school’s public-facing language. Its stated ethos is tightly linked to village life and local identity, and the curriculum is described as being rooted in the locality rather than treating place as an add-on topic.

The school’s values framework is formalised through the Fairburn Promise, which sets out the qualities the community wants pupils to develop. In the most recent inspection, those qualities are described as perseverance, being inquisitive, and being polite, with pupils across ages expected to live them consistently.

Parents looking for a calmer, more personal primary often focus on relationships and safety first, then outcomes. Here, the two are not presented as competing priorities. The school’s safeguarding messaging is clear about shared responsibility and a child-centred approach, and it is framed as part of daily practice rather than as a policy document that sits on a shelf.

Governance information is also unusually transparent for a small primary, with named safeguarding roles visible in governor listings. That tends to signal a school that expects adults to know their lane, and to be accountable for it.

The latest published Key Stage 2 results (2024) are extremely strong.

• Expected standard (reading, writing and maths): 91%, compared with an England average of 62%

• Higher standard (greater depth): 36.33%, compared with an England average of 8%

• Average scaled scores: Reading 111, Mathematics 107, Grammar, punctuation and spelling 109

• Combined reading, maths and GPS score: 327

On the FindMySchool rankings for primary outcomes (based on official data), the school is ranked 950th in England and 1st in the Knottingley local area, placing it well above England average (top 10%). This matters because it suggests the outcomes are not a one-off spike, they sit within a wider comparative picture for England.

What it implies for families: pupils who thrive here are likely to be those who respond well to clear routines and high expectations, and who benefit from adults noticing quickly when something is slipping. In a school this small, a dip in confidence or a gap in foundational knowledge is harder to hide, which can be a real advantage when the response is prompt and skilled.

Parents comparing nearby schools can use the FindMySchool Local Hub pages to view primary results side-by-side using the Comparison Tool, which is often the fastest way to sanity-check whether a strong year is part of a sustained pattern.

The school talks about curriculum design in unusually explicit terms. It describes a curriculum centred on pupils’ lived experience in their local environment, with sequences designed to build knowledge over time and to keep pupils safe while still taking sensible risks in learning.

A practical example of this approach shows up in geography. The school describes starting from the local area as a reference point before moving outward, and it gives concrete examples such as local litter picking and class planters in the village. That kind of work is more than a nice extra. Done well, it supports vocabulary development, purposeful writing, and the habit of noticing how communities function, which feeds directly into stronger outcomes in reading and composition.

Early reading is also positioned as a core strength. The most recent inspection describes well-trained adults crafting meaningful learning through play in Reception, with firm foundations in phonics and mathematics and a strong focus on communication and language. For families, the implication is straightforward: if a child needs structure to become a confident reader, the school’s approach is likely to be systematic rather than laissez-faire.

Fairburn is a primary school, so the next step is secondary transfer at 11. The school’s admissions information notes that families apply for secondary places during the autumn term of the final year at primary.

The most useful question for parents is usually logistical rather than reputational: which secondary schools are realistic given travel time and admissions criteria? Because this is a small village school serving Fairburn, families often weigh local options in Knottingley, Castleford, and surrounding areas alongside any selective or faith routes that fit their circumstances. The school does not publish a destination list on its website, so parents should base planning on their local authority’s secondary admissions guidance and on realistic daily travel.

If you are aiming for a particular secondary, it is worth mapping the home-to-school journey early, then stress-testing it at peak times. Practicality matters at 11, especially for children who will be moving from a very small setting to a much larger one.

Admissions are competitive for the main entry point. In the most recent published admissions snapshot for primary entry, the school was oversubscribed, with 37 applications for 12 offers, which is about 3.08 applications per place. The first preference pressure is also visible, with a 1.25 ratio of first preferences to first preference offers. In plain terms, many families want this school, and not all will get it.

The school’s own admissions page makes clear that it seeks to serve children and the local community, giving priority to children who live within Fairburn village, while also noting that children from other local areas are welcome if places are available.

For September 2026 entry into Reception, the key published dates are:

• Closing date for applications: 15 January 2026

• National Offer Day: 16 April 2026

Because distance and oversubscription rules can be decisive, families should use the FindMySchool Map Search to check their home-to-school distance accurately, then compare it with patterns from previous allocation years. Even when a precise historic cut-off is not published, understanding distance bands and local demand helps set realistic expectations.

Small schools can sometimes be overly informal, with too much depending on who happens to be on duty. Fairburn signals the opposite: named safeguarding leadership is prominent, and the head teacher is explicitly described as the lead for child protection.

The website’s safeguarding information frames child welfare as everybody’s responsibility, aligned with wider safeguarding systems, and it sets a clear expectation that staff will prioritise pupils’ best interests in day-to-day decisions.

In the latest inspection narrative, behaviour and the social culture are described as exceptionally positive, with pupils reported to be happy, safe, and proud of their school, and with sensitive support used where some pupils find behaviour more difficult.

Extracurricular life is presented as pupil-led in terms of choice. The school states that children are consulted about clubs, and that clubs are selected on a half-termly basis. That consultation model works well in smaller schools, because the club offer can flex to the cohort rather than being fixed around staffing structures.

The published examples of after-school clubs include:

• Drama Club (with separate groupings for younger and older pupils)

• Fencing Club

• Dance

• Lego

The important point is not any single club, since provision changes over time. It is the implied breadth for a small school, and the habit of involving pupils in planning. For a child who needs a confidence boost, a well-run drama group can be as significant as a literacy intervention, because it builds voice, presence, and willingness to take intellectual risks in class.

The school publishes a 9:00am to 3:30pm school day (32.5 hours per week).

Wraparound care is clearly structured:

Sunrise Breakfast Club

7:30am to 8:45am

Fairplay After School Club

options from 3:30pm, extending up to 6:00pm

A holiday club is also described as part of the wraparound offer.

For travel, this is a village school on Great North Road in Fairburn. Most families will approach it as a local walk, cycle, or short drive option, with day-to-day convenience being part of its appeal.

• A small school feels very small. With a capacity of 83, friendship groups and class dynamics can feel intense for some children. The upside is being known well; the downside is less social anonymity when friendships wobble.

• Entry pressure is real. Admissions data indicates oversubscription at the main entry point. If you are outside the village priority area, have a plan B and keep it realistic.

• Wraparound is a strength, but check fit. The school offers breakfast and after-school options with multiple end times. That flexibility is helpful for working families, but it is still worth checking how clubs, childcare, and transport align with your own routine.

• Curriculum is local by design. If you want a primary that heavily emphasises local context and community activity as part of learning, this is a good match. If you prefer a more standardised, textbook-led feel, it may not be your first choice.

Fairburn Community Primary School combines the advantages of a small village setting with outcomes that sit well above England average. The published results, curriculum intent, and emphasis on character all point in the same direction: high expectations, strong foundations, and a tight-knit culture.

It suits families who value a smaller school where adults know pupils well, who want structured early reading and a curriculum that links learning to local life. The limiting factor is admission competition, so shortlisting should include at least one realistic alternative. Families who are seriously considering it can use Saved Schools to keep comparisons organised, especially when balancing travel, wraparound needs, and secondary transfer planning.