Ofsted
Ofsted inspects every state school in England. Inspectors look at how well children learn, how safe and happy they are and how well the school is led. Their findings help families make informed choices and help schools keep improving.
Our most recent inspection
Ofsted last visited Richard Coates in July 2023 and confirmed that we continue to be a good school. Inspectors found that:
- Pupils enjoy their time at this inclusive school.
- Christian values pervade the school, with high levels of respect and tolerance modelled by staff and emulated by pupils, who are friendly, polite and cooperative. Pupils' behaviour is exemplary.
- There is a vibrant curriculum with a wide variety of rich experiences.
A new way of reporting
In November 2025 Ofsted changed the way it inspects and reports on schools. Schools no longer receive a single overall judgement such as "good" or "outstanding". Instead, each school receives a report card with a colour-coded grade for each area of its work.
For a primary school like ours, those areas are:
- Inclusion: how well the school meets the needs of every child, including children with SEND and those who are disadvantaged
- Curriculum and teaching
- Achievement
- Attendance and behaviour
- Personal development and well-being
- Leadership and governance
- Early years: our Reception class
Inspectors also check that the school keeps children safe. Safeguarding is reported simply as "met" or "not met".
What the grades mean
- Exceptional: practice among the very best in the country
- Strong standard: excellent, consistent work that makes a real difference for children
- Expected standard: the school is doing everything it should. This is a high standard and is shown in green
- Needs attention: there is work to do to reach the expected standard. This is not a fail
- Urgent improvement: there are serious concerns
It is normal for a school to have a mix of grades. The new grades cannot be compared with the old ones, because this is a different approach to inspection.
What this means for our school
Our July 2023 report remains our current report until our next inspection. When inspectors next visit, our report card will appear here and on the Ofsted website, with our earlier reports listed beneath it. We will write to every family to explain what it shows.
We welcome inspection as a chance to celebrate what makes Richard Coates special and to keep growing, so that every child's light can shine.
Find out more
Ofsted has produced a short video and a guide for parents explaining the new report cards, including an Easy Read version.
New Ofsted report cards and grades, a guide for parents
Understanding Ofsted report cards and grades
Our Church school inspection
As a Church of England school, we are also inspected under SIAMS, which looks at how our Christian vision shapes the life of the school.
