Coalway Community Infant School making progress, says Ofsted

Coalway Community Infant School has been praised for improvements in teaching and behaviour, following a monitoring inspection on 19th March 2025.

The visit, led by His Majesty’s Inspector Nicky McMahon, found that while the school still has work to do, leaders have taken positive steps since the last full inspection.

Improvements in teaching and learning

Reading and phonics have been made a top priority. Staff have received extra training, and phonics lessons are now taught more consistently. Checks on pupils’ reading help teachers to spot gaps early and provide extra support.

Work to improve writing is the next step, with leaders recognising its importance for progress across all subjects.

In the wider curriculum, the school has identified key knowledge for pupils to learn and has started using new systems to check what children remember. This is helping to fill gaps, though inspectors said there is still more work needed to make sure teaching and assessment are consistent in all subjects.

In early years, the curriculum has been strengthened, especially around language development and the learning environment. However, these changes are still new and need more time to embed.

Behaviour and atmosphere

Inspectors reported that the school is now calm and orderly.

• Staff share clear expectations for behaviour.
  
• Pupils understand the rules and show positive attitudes to learning.
  
• Disruptions in class are now minimal.

The school is also starting to adapt its approach to better meet the needs of all pupils.

Next steps

The report highlighted that many improvements are still at an early stage. Leaders need clearer plans and timescales to track progress more effectively. Governors are ambitious and supportive, but many are new to their roles and still developing their impact.

Coalway is working closely with external advisors and the local authority and has shown it is open to advice and support.

Looking ahead

Ofsted concluded that “Leaders have made progress to improve the school, but some aspects need further improvement.”

Parents and carers can be reassured that the school is moving in the right direction, with strong foundations now being put in place for the future.