Coaley Church of England Primary Academy

About Coaley Church of England Primary Academy

Coaley Church of England Primary Academy is a small state primary in Stroud, operating comfortably below its capacity of 84 with 79 pupils on roll. The school serves a relatively affluent catchment, reflected in its 11.4% pupil premium rate, which sits below the national primary average of around 23%. Despite its modest size, demand is notably high: for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 41 applications for just 12 places, with 14 families listing it as their first preference. That works out to an oversubscription ratio of 3.42, meaning more than three families applied for every available spot. The school’s Church of England character and its location in a semi-rural part of Gloucestershire likely contribute to its appeal, but the numbers alone tell a clear story — this is a school that local parents are actively choosing.

Academically, Coaley performs well above the local authority average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 71% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a Gloucestershire average of 59%. The school also excels at stretching its pupils: 43% achieved the higher standard in all three subjects, and in writing every single pupil met the expected level. Reading and maths average scores were 107 and 106 respectively, both above the national benchmark of 100. Nationally, the school ranks in the top 28% of primaries for combined RWM expected scores, and within the South West it sits in the top 22%. Its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022 rated it Good across all categories, a significant improvement from its previous Inadequate rating in 2017, with leadership and management, behaviour, personal development and early years all judged Good.

The school offers a strong range of facilities for its size, including a sports hall, gymnasium, playing fields, forest school, art studios and a chapel. Sports provision covers tennis, netball, gymnastics, football, cricket, rounders and dance, while clubs include coding, drama, film and chess. SEND support is broad, covering moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, autistic spectrum disorder, hearing and visual impairments, and social and emotional mental health needs. With no nursery or sixth form, it is a straightforward primary serving children from age 4 to 11. Given its oversubscription rate and strong but not elite results, Coaley suits families who want a well-regarded village school with a Christian character, good pastoral support and solid academic outcomes, but who need to be prepared for a competitive admissions process.

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