Coley Primary School
About Coley Primary School
Coley Primary School is a popular choice among Reading families, with 146 applications for just 30 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, giving it an oversubscription ratio of 4.87. Of those, 38 families put it as their first preference, and 28 first-preference offers were made. This level of demand suggests a strong local reputation, though the school doesn't publish a parent recommendation percentage. The school is led by headteacher Sarah Pengelly and caters to 260 pupils aged 3 to 11, operating just under its capacity of 270. It is a mixed, non-religious state primary with nursery provision, and its most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2024 confirmed it remains a Good school, an improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2014. The early years provision was also rated Good, and leadership and management were judged Good as well.
Key Details
The full report on this school
The inspection in plain English, admissions context, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.
- Ofsted inspection in plain EnglishStrengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
- Parent View survey resultsWhat parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
- Where Ofsted and parents disagreeGaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
- Admissions & catchmentAdmission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
- Nearby schools comparedBackup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
- Attendance & behaviour dataPersistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
31 Jan 2024Latest monitoring visit (31 Jan 2024): School remains Good
Source: Ofsted, 12 Nov 2014. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
Facilities
9Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
8Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
School day
Teaching hours
08:45 – 15:15
Source: coleyprimary.reading.sch.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Was this page helpful?
Frequently Asked Questions About Coley Primary School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
How to Choose a Primary School
Step-by-step guide to choosing the right primary school
KS2 SATs Explained
A parent's guide to Year 6 SATs and how results are reported
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights