Abbey Infant School, Smethwick
Abbey Infant School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 7 in Smethwick. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2023 did not change this grade. It was 94% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Sandwell (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Abbey Infant School in detail
Getting a place at Abbey Infant School
For September 2026 entry, 65 families put Abbey Infant School as their first choice and 160 named it as one of their preferences, for 69 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Abbey Infant School are Abbey Junior School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 77% reading, 83% maths); St Gregory's Catholic Primary School (0.2 miles, Outstanding, 70% reading, 60% maths); Annie Lennard Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 66% reading, 69% maths); and Bearwood Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 79% reading, 73% maths).
Abbey Junior SchoolSt Gregory's Catholic Primary SchoolAnnie Lennard Primary SchoolBearwood Primary School
Who goes there
11.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 19 pupils (6.8%) received SEN support and 4 (1.4%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Smethwick Rolfe Street Rail Station, about 1.3 miles away in a straight line.
16 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Barclay Road (opposite), 120 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
Abbey Infant School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Abbey Infant School are Bristnall Hall Academy (0.7 miles), Lordswood Boys' School (0.8 miles), Shireland Collegiate Academy (0.8 miles) and King Edward VI Lordswood School for Girls (0.9 miles).
Bristnall Hall AcademyLordswood Boys' SchoolShireland Collegiate AcademyKing Edward VI Lordswood School for Girls
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from May 2013, 13 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2023 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Abbey Infant School excels at teaching children to read confidently and fluently through expert phonics instruction and quality books matched to their learning. The school creates a caring, orderly community where children develop strong character through responsibility and respect for others. Leaders ensure all children, including those with additional needs, get the support they need to succeed.
Key Strengths
- Excellent reading provision with well-trained staff and effective phonics teaching - pupils read confidently and fluently
- Strong support for pupils with SEND - they are quickly identified and receive effective help to catch up
- High expectations for behaviour and responsibility, creating a calm and orderly school
- Broad curriculum with rich experiences including theatre visits, beach trips, and learning about different religions and cultures
- Well-organised early years provision with good focus on collaboration, independence and early literacy skills
Areas for Improvement
- A few subjects are not planned and sequenced as well as they could be - curriculum sequencing needs to be more consistent across the school so pupils learn more deeply
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective - staff are highly skilled at identifying pupil welfare concerns and leaders rigorously pursue any issues raised.
Extracurricular Activities
Beach trip, theatre visit, learning musical instruments, visiting places of worship (Gurdwara), playground buddies, classroom meeters and greeters, school council, picture news activities, Year Two residential
Abbey Infant School continues to be a good school with ambitious leaders who prioritise reading and ensure pupils attend regularly. Pupils enjoy a calm, orderly environment where they are happy and safe.
At a Glance
11.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
27.8
Avg class size
28.5
Infant (KS1)
9
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Abbey Infant School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Abbey Infant School.
- Premier Education Holiday Camp St Gregorys Catholic Primary School250m away · Not yet graded
- Inspiro Tuition Academy620m away · Not yet graded
- 4 Community Trust Uplands and Breakaway Club680m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Abbey Infant School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Sandwell. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Abbey Infant School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Abbey Infant School is in Sandwell; for families living there:
Apply to Sandwell for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 23
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 5
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 23 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 20 slight.
5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise.
6 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Sandwell is 26.5 (the median across 134 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Abbey Infant School
Will you get a place at Abbey Infant School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Abbey Infant School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Abbey Infant School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Abbey Infant School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Sandwell, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Abbey Infant School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Sandwell got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
94%
Near capacity
254 pupils
270 places
16 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Smethwick
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Smethwick
Across Sandwell council
Places available
4,920
Applications
3,985
Got 1st preference
94.1%
Got preferred school
98.6%
All primary applications across Sandwell council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
19
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
8.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
280
Total Pupils
134
Boys
146
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
15
Teachers
18.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,576
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,603
Per pupil
£1538k
Total funding
£52k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.8%
Overall absence
7.8%
Persistent absence
179
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Questions parents ask about Abbey Infant School
What is Abbey Infant School's Ofsted rating?
Abbey Infant School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Abbey Infant School?
No fixed boundary. When Abbey Infant School is oversubscribed, Sandwell allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Abbey Infant School?
Abbey Infant School was not full in 2025: it ran at 94% of its 270 places.
How big are the classes at Abbey Infant School?
Classes at Abbey Infant School average 27.8 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Abbey Infant School?
Abbey Infant School has around 280 pupils on roll. 12% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Abbey Infant School?
4.8% of sessions were missed at Abbey Infant School in 2024/25. 7.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Abbey Infant School?
Apply through Sandwell's coordinated admissions process, naming Abbey Infant School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Abbey Infant School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 3 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Abbey Infant School: Premier Education Holiday Camp St Gregorys Catholic Primary School (250m away, registered, not yet graded), Inspiro Tuition Academy (620m away, registered, not yet graded) and 4 Community Trust Uplands and Breakaway Club (680m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
What are Abbey Infant School's term dates?
Abbey Infant School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Sandwell. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027).
How many road collisions happen near Abbey Infant School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 23 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 20 slight. 5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise. 6 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Sandwell is 26.5 (the median across 134 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Abbey Infant School?
Abbey Infant School is at Maurice Road, Smethwick, West Midlands, B67 5LR.
Sources: Sandwell term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)