Abbey Infant School

Abbey Infant School continues to perform well, maintaining its status as a good school. The leadership is ambitious and places a strong emphasis on regular attendance and high standards of behavior. The curriculum is well-structured, with effective teaching practices in place, particularly in reading, which is prioritized, leading to positive outcomes for pupils. Careful attention is given to the personal development of students, ensuring they are well-prepared for future educational stages and life beyond school. Parents express strong satisfaction with the school's initiatives, particularly regarding reading development.

Strengths

• Strong leadership with high ambitions for all pupils.
• Effective teaching of reading and phonics.
• Pupils are highly engaged and motivated in their learning.
• Positive school environment promoting happiness and safety.
• Robust support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Broad range of extracurricular activities enhancing personal development.
• Effective behaviour management and a culture of respect.

Areas for Improvement

• Some inconsistencies in the planning and sequencing of a few subjects.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Abbey Infant School attended 95.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 7.8% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.0% of pupils at Abbey Infant School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Abbey Infant School had 21.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 32.6% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 6.8% of pupils at Abbey Infant School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.4% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Abbey Infant School received £7,250 and spent £7,125 for each of its 269 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £51,000 (£190 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Smethwick · Sandwell local authority: places and applications

What is Abbey Infant School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Abbey Infant School is Good, from an inspection in May 2023.

When was Abbey Infant School last inspected by Ofsted?

Abbey Infant School was last inspected in May 2023.

How many pupils does Abbey Infant School have?

Abbey Infant School has 280 pupils on roll.

What age range does Abbey Infant School cover?

Abbey Infant School for pupils aged 3 to 7.

Where is Abbey Infant School?

Abbey Infant School is at Maurice Road, Smethwick, West Midlands, B67 5LR.