Coalbrookdale and Ironbridge CofE Primary School

School

Address: Dale End, Coalbrookdale, Telford, Shropshire, TF8 7DS Unique reference number (URN): 123542

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Pupils’ attendance is high. Leaders track attendance closely and act early if concerns arise. Overall attendance is above national averages, and persistent absence is low. Leaders work proactively with families, including those who face challenges, to help pupils attend regularly. Early engagement prevents longer-term absence, and leaders rigorously track patterns to ensure pupils receive the right support. Where attendance dips for individuals or groups, leaders respond quickly and effectively.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school is highly positive. They understand the expectations and respond well to the consistent routines in place. They show respect for each other and for adults. Pupils say that bullying is rare and that adults deal with it quickly when it happens. Leaders track incidents carefully and adjust the curriculum when needed to support pupils’ social and emotional needs. For example, they have modified the curriculum to develop pupils’ understanding of discrimination; incidents of any discriminatory behaviour have significantly reduced. Pupils who struggle to manage their feelings and emotions receive well-matched help, including reasonable adjustments that enable them to stay engaged.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Personal development is a clear priority. Leaders pay close attention to pupils who need extra pastoral support. This includes pupils who face barriers to their wellbeing or who have experienced challenges outside school. The wider offer, including enrichment and targeted support, helps pupils develop resilience and confidence. Leaders track the impact of their work carefully.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Relationships across the school are positive, and pupils show cooperation, responsibility and growing confidence. Pupils learn about respectful relationships and talk confidently about how adults help them manage worries and how the school teaches them to stay safe, including online. They also explain clearly their understanding of equality, respect and the importance of celebrating differences. One pupil captured this by saying, ‘All people are unique, and this is a good thing.’ The school's work prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The personal development programme is extensive and tailored to the school’s context. Pupils learn about social, moral, spiritual and cultural themes through the curriculum and well-planned enrichment activities. Careers work is well established and helps pupils develop their aspirations for the future. Pupils understand fundamental British values and give real-life examples of how these apply to their lives. They behave well, cooperate with others and show compassion when discussing sensitive issues.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils benefit from a wide range of enrichment activities and meaningful leadership roles. For example, older pupils enjoy the responsibility of planning exciting activities for others to participate in during lunchtimes. This helps pupils to develop their leadership skills and develop their social interactions. Leaders ensure that everyone benefits highly; disadvantaged pupils are well represented in leadership roles and extra-curricular

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Expected standard

opportunities. This helps all pupils feel included and valued. This clear focus on personal development helps pupils thrive and prepares them well for life beyond primary school.

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Achievement Expected standard

Pupils’ achievement over time in national tests is broadly in line with national averages, although pupils’ outcomes in Year 6 national tests in 2025 were below national averages. These pupils experienced significant disruption to their learning due to historic staffing turbulence, which has since been stabilised.

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Achievement Expected standard

Leaders have taken effective action to address aspects of pupils’ achievement that are not as secure, including improving pupils’ achievement in writing. The work pupils now produce shows clear improvement. Leaders have a sharp focus on identifying and addressing any gaps that have arisen. Pupils are closing gaps, and in some cases doing so rapidly.

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Achievement Expected standard

Reading remains a relative strength, supported by effective phonics and targeted support for anyone who falls behind. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face other barriers benefit from more precise assessment and well-matched support. Across the wider curriculum, pupils remember important knowledge and produce work that reflects leaders’ expectations. Overall, pupils are now well prepared for their next stages of education.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have redeveloped the curriculum. It is now ambitious and clearly sets out the key knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn. This is helping pupils to build their knowledge over time. Teaching increasingly reflects leaders’ intentions, and routines are more consistent across subjects. Staff follow the agreed approaches with growing confidence, which helps pupils learn securely.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have strengthened how they identify pupils who need extra support with their learning. This means that teaching is adapted more effectively so that pupils with additional needs can learn alongside their peers. Phonics is taught well, and most pupils develop secure early reading skills. Leaders have a clear understanding of where further improvements are needed. For example, they have reviewed the approach for teaching writing. This is having a positive impact on how well pupils build their writing skills over time. Generally, staff identify and address misconceptions during lessons. However, this is not always as precise as it should be.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The curriculum is taught well. Some pupils’ learning has been affected by staffing changes in the past, and this has slowed improvement. Leaders have addressed this and have stabilised staffing across the school. They continue to develop staff expertise and refine assessment systems so that teaching becomes consistently effective.

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Early years Expected standard

Children in the early years feel safe, secure and ready to learn. The environment is nurturing, and routines help children settle quickly. Leaders have a clear understanding of strengths and priorities, with a focus on communication, language and early reading. Phonics is taught well, and children develop effective early reading skills. Staff introduce children to a wide range of stories and rhymes, which helps to instil an early love for reading. Leaders are beginning to increase the opportunities for early mark making to support pupils to develop their early writing skills. Staff generally use high-quality interactions to build children’s vocabulary and understanding.

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Early years Expected standard

The curriculum is well planned and sequenced so that children build knowledge over time. Teaching supports children to develop the skills they need for later learning. Personal, social and emotional development is a key priority, and children learn to follow routines, share and work with others. Staff identify needs early through effective transition arrangements and use this information to plan additional support where required. Most children achieve highly in the early years and are generally well prepared for their next stage of education.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have strengthened inclusion and now have a clear and detailed understanding of pupils’ needs. They identify barriers early and match support carefully so that pupils can take part fully in lessons alongside their peers.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities benefit from well-matched interventions and thoughtful adaptations to their learning. Leaders work closely with external partners, including the virtual school and local authority services, to strengthen support for pupils who are known to social care or who face wider challenges. Leaders use additional funding well to support disadvantaged pupils. They receive targeted help that is beginning to make a clear difference. Leaders have focused sharply on supporting pupils’ social and emotional needs as well as closing gaps in learning, especially in mathematics and writing. Alternative provision is used carefully and only when needed, with early signs that it is helping pupils re-engage with learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders provide effective training for staff so that they know how best to support pupils who may face barriers to their learning. They know that some systems are relatively new and need more time to become fully embedded so that barriers to learning are reduced consistently for all pupils.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leadership has stabilised. Leaders have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development. They have taken decisive action to address weaknesses. These well-chosen actions have had a clear impact across the school, particularly around inclusion and the improvements to further develop the curriculum and teaching. The support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities or pupils who may face barriers to their learning now ensures that pupils receive the support that they need to succeed. Stable staffing and effective professional staff development are helping to address gaps in learning. Leaders know that some work is recent and needs more time to become fully embedded so that improvements are consistent across the school.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Governance is effective. The interim executive board has played a key role in supporting the school through a period of change. They have provided highly effective oversight and provide the support and challenge needed to help the school to improve further. Although the school has improved rapidly in several areas, leaders know that some systems are still new. Therefore, they have not yet evaluated the full impact of their work or refined approaches to ensure that teaching is consistently effective so that pupils’ achievement continues to rise.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders are mindful of workload, and staff speak positively about working at the school. They value the training and support they receive to meet pupils’ needs. Engagement with parents and carers is improving, and leaders are committed to working with families and the wider community to strengthen these relationships further.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils experience a calm, nurturing and welcoming school where staff know them well and clear routines help them feel settled and secure. Relationships are positive and trusting, and pupils feel safe, listened to and well supported. Behaviour is managed quickly and fairly, so learning is rarely disrupted. When pupils find aspects of learning difficult, they are well supported, which helps them to remain engaged and participate confidently in lessons. A wide range of play, leadership and enrichment opportunities contributes positively to pupils’ enjoyment of school.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils are enthusiastic about their learning and take pride in the work they produce. The curriculum is becoming increasingly consistent and is better matched to pupils’ needs. Staff help pupils to understand new ideas clearly, and learning activities are engaging. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those who may face barriers to their learning are now supported effectively to learn alongside their peers. This is helping to improve pupils’ achievement over time, ensuring that more pupils are well prepared for their next stages of learning.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Alongside the ambitious curriculum, pupils benefit from a range of clubs, visits and leadership opportunities that enrich their experiences, promote confidence and strengthen their sense of belonging within the school community.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils’ behaviour is very positive in lessons and around school. They understand expectations well and respond well to the clear routines that are in place. Incidents of bullying are rare and are dealt with promptly and effectively when they occur. Pupils feel safe and have a secure understanding of how to keep themselves safe, including online. Attendance is high, reflecting pupils’ enjoyment of school and positive relationships with both peers and staff. They demonstrate respect for others and show a secure understanding of difference, which supports the inclusive ethos of the school.

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Lead inspector:

Catherine Young, His Majesty's Inspector

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Team inspectors:

Kerrise James, Ofsted Inspector Mark Cadwallader, Ofsted Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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Next steps

Leaders should continue to strengthen the consistency and quality of the teaching of writing so that all pupils, particularly those who face barriers to learning, achieve well. Leaders should further develop how teachers check pupils’ understanding during lessons so that misconceptions are identified and addressed swiftly.

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About this inspection

The chair of the interim executive board of governors is Claire Killick.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty's Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher and other senior leaders. They also spoke with representatives from the interim executive board, the local authority and the diocese.

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About this inspection

The school is registered as having a Church of England religious character. It is in the Diocese of Hereford. Its last section 48 inspection was 11 December 2024.

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About this inspection

The school makes use of 3 alternative provisions that are all unregistered.

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About this inspection

The school has experienced changes in the leadership structure over recent years, including the appointment of an interim executive board of governors.

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About this inspection

Headteacher: Mandy Dhaliwal This data is from 6 May 2026

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and mathematics measure.

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average

2023/24 (final) 53% 61% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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average

2023/24 (final) 72% 74% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing.

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average

2022/23 (final) 77% 71% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

2023/24 (final) 72% 73% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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national average

2023/24 (final) 67% 62% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing.

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average

2023/24 (final) 67% 58% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

2023/24 (final) 67% 59% Close to average

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average

‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, including the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics and the disadvantaged gap.

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average

‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 12.7% 14.6% Close to average

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care. services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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