The Bluecoat School

The Bluecoat School is a good school overall, with Ofsted judging quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision all to be good. Pupils are happy, feel safe and behave well, and the school is highly inclusive. Leaders have high expectations, and pupils typically achieve well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The school is part of Meridian Trust and has a nursery and provision for two-year-olds. The school has recently introduced an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum, and reading is a clear priority. Pupils benefit from a strong personal development offer, a wide range of extra-curricular activities and a welcoming early years environment. Safeguarding is effective. However, the impact of the new curriculum is still being realised in a few subjects, and not all pupils can confidently explain the detailed knowledge they have learned. Attendance is the main concern. Although leaders have started to improve attendance and have had some success, too many pupils still do not attend school as often as they should, which limits their learning. The report also notes that this was the first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and that the school has undergone numerous changes since its previous inspection.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy, feel safe and know there are trusted adults to talk to.
• The school has high expectations for all pupils, including those with SEND.
• An ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum has been recently implemented.
• Rigorous systems identify SEND and resources are carefully adapted.
• Reading is prioritised, with well-trained staff teaching phonics.
• Personal development is a strength, with a highly inclusive culture.
• Pupils behave well, and low-level disruption is rare.
• Early years children settle quickly in a bright and welcoming environment.
• Pupils enjoy a range of extra-curricular opportunities and outdoor learning.
• Staff benefit from expert trust support and generally manageable workload.
• Trustees and academy councillors provide strong challenge and support.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• The curriculum in a few subjects has not yet shown its full impact.
• Some pupils cannot explain detailed knowledge in these subjects.
• The school should strengthen checks and close gaps in pupils' knowledge.
• Pupils need more regular opportunities to practise and deepen their knowledge.
• Too many pupils do not attend school as often as they should.
• Poor attendance prevents some pupils from learning.

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 The Bluecoat School attended 91.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 21.8% 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, 1.4% of pupils at The Bluecoat 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 The Bluecoat School had 14.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 43.1% 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, 36.1% of pupils at The Bluecoat School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.9% 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 2024–25 The Bluecoat School received £8,345 and spent £9,592 for each of its 137 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £158,000 (£1,150 per pupil).

Across all 36 schools of Meridian Trust, income was £7,921 and spending £7,857 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Stamford · Lincolnshire local authority: places and applications

The Bluecoat School is part of Meridian Trust, which runs 36 schools. The nearest others:

• Stamford Welland Academy Stamford
• Orton Wistow Primary School Peterborough
• West Town Primary Academy Peterborough
• Nene Park Academy Peterborough
• Nene Valley Primary School Peterborough
• Greater Peterborough UTC Peterborough
• Woodston Primary School Peterborough
• NeneGate Peterborough
• Weldon Village Academy Corby
• Sawtry Village Academy Huntingdon

What is The Bluecoat School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Bluecoat School is Good, from an inspection in April 2025.

When was The Bluecoat School last inspected by Ofsted?

The Bluecoat School was last inspected in April 2025.

How many pupils does The Bluecoat School have?

The Bluecoat School has 119 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Bluecoat School cover?

The Bluecoat School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are The Bluecoat School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 61% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is The Bluecoat School?

The Bluecoat School is at Green Lane, The Bluecoat School, Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 1HE.