Abbey CofE Infant School

Abbey C of E Infant School is a happy, nurturing and welcoming school where pupils flourish and achieve well. Inspectors found high ambitions and expectations across the school, with consistently positive behaviour and a calm, orderly environment. The early years provision is particularly strong, giving children a quick start through purposeful activities and skilled support, and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well provided for, including in the school’s specialist Elm provision. The school’s curriculum is ambitious and reading and phonics are taught effectively, helping pupils develop confidence and fluency. Personal development is also a strength: pupils learn about difference, tolerance and respect, and take part in community activities. Safeguarding arrangements are effective, and staff, governors and leaders are well supported. There are some areas for improvement. In a few wider curriculum subjects, teaching does not always help pupils remember essential knowledge and vocabulary over time, which can leave gaps in learning. Some subject leaders are new to their roles and do not yet have a clear enough picture of how well pupils are achieving or how well their subjects are being delivered. This was the school’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and it was previously exempt from routine inspection after being judged outstanding.

Strengths

• Happy, nurturing and welcoming school where pupils flourish
• High ambitions and expectations, with pupils achieving well
• Outstanding early years provision with purposeful activities and skilled support
• Effective phonics teaching and strong support for reading
• Successful identification and provision for pupils with SEND, including specialist Elm provision
• Positive behaviour and consistently applied 'ready, respectful, safe' rules
• Broad personal development, including tolerance, respect and community engagement
• Supportive leadership with well-trained staff and knowledgeable governors
• Effective safeguarding arrangements

Areas for Improvement

• In some wider curriculum subjects, teaching does not ensure pupils remember essential knowledge and vocabulary over time
• Some pupils develop gaps in learning in foundation subjects
• Some subject leaders are new and lack a clear overview of achievement and subject delivery
• Checking in some wider curriculum subjects does not yet show what is working well

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 CofE Infant School attended 94.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 19.1% 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 CofE Infant School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was 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 CofE Infant School had 18.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 8.9% 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, 11.7% of pupils at Abbey CofE Infant School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 8.6% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has resourced provision with 7 pupils.

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 CofE Infant School received £10,707 and spent £10,851 for each of its 189 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £130,000 (£691 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 Nuneaton · Warwickshire local authority: places and applications

What is Abbey CofE Infant School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Abbey CofE Infant School is Good, from an inspection in February 2025.

When was Abbey CofE Infant School last inspected by Ofsted?

Abbey CofE Infant School was last inspected in February 2025.

How many pupils does Abbey CofE Infant School have?

Abbey CofE Infant School has 197 pupils on roll.

What age range does Abbey CofE Infant School cover?

Abbey CofE Infant School for pupils aged 2 to 7.

Where is Abbey CofE Infant School?

Abbey CofE Infant School is at Aston Road, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, CV11 5EL.