Blue Coat Church of England Aided Infant School
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Blue Coat Church of England Aided Infant School is a Church of England school (voluntary aided) in Walsall for boys and girls aged 3 to 7. It has 314 pupils, 18 more than it has places for. About 38 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 23 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 18% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.
Hanch Place, Walsall, WS1 3AF01922 720740bluecoatfederation.co.ukMr Anthony Orlik executive headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
A shorter visit on 12 October 2022 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.
Results
No published results yet for this school.
Getting a place
Admissions policy not published. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.
The school is full, with 6 more pupils than it has places for. More families apply than can get in, so things like how close you live and whether an older brother or sister is already here decide who gets a place. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.
In 2026 every child who applied got a place, so how far away you live didn't matter. That could change if the school gets more popular.
We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.
How places were given out for September 2026. Every child who applied got a place (83 offers for 90 places). 76 families put it down as their first choice and 76 of them got in (100%).
| Entry | Places | Put it first | Applied at all | Got a place | First choices who got in | How far the last child lived | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Primary | 90 | 76 | 128 | 83 | 100% | – all offered | LA |
Who goes here
Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.
Specialist SEND provision. SEN unit with 12 pupils, for autism, speech, language and communication.
To get a place in the unit or resourced provision, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school. Other schools in Walsall with autism provision.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (28), emotional and mental health (9), Other difficulty or disability (6), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (6), Hearing impairment (2), Autistic spectrum disorder (1).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 314 | 317 | 309 | 312 | 310 | 296 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 33% | 36% | 32% | 33% | 30% | 32% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 59% | 57% | 31% | 30% | 32% | 32% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 11% | 10% | 13% | 17% | 14% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 7% | 3% | 3% | 2% | 3% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.3% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 6.7% | 5.9% | 7.1% | 5.5% | 5.3% | 3.7% | 5.2% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 4.5% | 3.9% | 4.8% | 3.5% | 3.1% | 2.3% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 2.2% | 2.0% | 2.4% | 2.1% | 2.2% | 1.3% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 20.7% | 14.7% | 26.0% | 15.5% | 14.8% | 5.4% | 12.8% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 0.0 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
Staff
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025.
The area around the school
Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.
Nearby schools
The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Coat Church of England Aided Junior School | Church of England | 190 m | 366 | Not inspected | 51 | Compare |
| Caldmore Primary Academy | Academy | 530 m | 436 | No overall grade 2025 | 46 | Compare |
| St Mary's The Mount Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 540 m | 235 | No overall grade 2025 | 83 | Compare |
| Chuckery Primary School | Council | 650 m | 465 | Good 2023 | 41 | Compare |
| Whitehall Nursery and Infant Academy | Academy | 910 m | 313 | Not inspected | – | Compare |
| Whitehall Junior Community School | Council | 0.6 miles | 340 | Good 2022 | 42 | Compare |
| Palfrey Infant School | Academy | 0.6 miles | 310 | Requires improvement 2022 | – | Compare |
| Palfrey Junior School | Council | 0.7 miles | 359 | Report card 2026 | 12 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Blue Coat Church of England Aided Infant School with the 49 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 49 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher
Of those 49 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Blue Coat Church of England Aided Infant School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Patrick's Catholic Primary School, Walsall | Roman Catholic | 0.8 miles | 223 | Report card 2026 | 31 | Compare |
| Ryders Green Primary School | Council | 4.2 miles | 452 | Good 2023 | 70 | Compare |
| Lodge Primary School | Council | 4.5 miles | 418 | Not inspected | 32 | Compare |
| Shireland Technology Primary | Free school | 6.6 miles | 440 | Outstanding 2023 | 97 | Compare |
| Nishkam Primary School Wolverhampton | Free school | 6.9 miles | 418 | Good 2020 | 95 | Compare |
| St Catherine of Siena Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 8.1 miles | 245 | Good 2023 | 94 | Compare |
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 23 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 23% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 10 to 48. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.
| What we looked at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 0% | no data | – | |
| Ofsted inspection | 18% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old) | in line | +0.02 | Ofsted grade, 3.9 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 0% | no data | – | |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | below | -0.13 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | below | -0.25 | 2024/25; 198 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 0% | no data | – | |
| What parents say | 0% | no data | – |
Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.
Questions parents ask
Is Blue Coat Church of England Aided Infant School a good school?
The figures are weak. Blue Coat Church of England Aided Infant School scores 23 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 18% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 10 to 48, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.
What is Blue Coat Church of England Aided Infant School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Blue Coat Church of England Aided Infant School good at its last full inspection on 12 October 2022.
How many pupils does Blue Coat Church of England Aided Infant School have?
314 pupils aged 3 to 7 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 296 places, so it is 106% full.
Is Blue Coat Church of England Aided Infant School oversubscribed?
Probably. The school was full in 2024/25, with 6 more pupils than places. How close you live, and the school's other admissions rules, decide who gets in.
What is attendance like at Blue Coat Church of England Aided Infant School?
Pupils were in school 93.3% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 21% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
Does Blue Coat Church of England Aided Infant School have specialist SEND provision?
Yes. It has sen unit for autism, speech, language and communication. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.
Does Blue Coat Church of England Aided Infant School have a breakfast club?
Yes. It is on the government's free breakfast club programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Hanch Place, Walsall, WS1 3AF
- Telephone
- 01922 720740
- Website
- www.bluecoatfederation.co.uk
- Executive Headteacher
- Mr Anthony Orlik
- Free breakfast club
- Yes: on the government's programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school (listed since September 2026).
- Type of school
- Church of England school (voluntary aided) (Voluntary aided school, local authority maintained schools)
- Phase
- Primary school, ages 3-7, with nursery
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England, Diocese of Lichfield
- Local authority
- Walsall
- Ward
- St Matthew's
- Constituency
- Walsall and Bloxwich
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- URN
- 104231 · LAESTAB 3353301 · UKPRN 10078357
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Admissions outcomes: Walsall council's published allocation statistics (source), entry years 2026.
- Breakfast club: DfE list of schools on the free breakfast club programme.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.