Clearwell Church of England Primary School, Coleford
Clearwell Church of England Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Coleford. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in December 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2024 Key Stage 2 results were the 6th-highest of the 6 schools in Coleford with published results, and 12,771st of 13,912 across England. It was 60% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Gloucestershire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Clearwell Church of England Primary School in detail
Clearwell Church of England Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "Our Open Days will take place on the 10th and 18th of November 2026. Our open days give parents and carers a chance to meet our wonderful Reception class teacher, Karen Peters, teaching assistants, and our Head Teacher, Joanne Jones."
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:45am.
Coming up: an open day on Wednesday 18 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Gloucestershire
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2024, 71% of Year 6 pupils at Clearwell Church of England Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 43% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 72% in Gloucestershire and 76% and 74% across England.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Clearwell Church of England Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 1 family put Clearwell Church of England Primary School as their first choice and 11 named it as one of their preferences, for 1 place offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Clearwell Church of England Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Clearwell Church of England Primary School are Ellwood Primary School (1.3 miles, Good, 61% reading, 67% maths); St John's C of E Academy (1.9 miles, Good, 58% reading, 75% maths); Coalway Community Infant School (2 miles, Requires improvement); and Coalway Primary School (2 miles, Good, 84% reading, 81% maths).
Ellwood Primary SchoolSt John's C of E AcademyCoalway Community Infant SchoolCoalway Primary School
What parents say
17 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Clearwell Church of England Primary School (as of September 2025): 77% would recommend the school, 77% say their child is happy there and 50% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (88%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).
Who goes there
36.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 12.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 16 pupils (39%) received SEN support and 2 (4.9%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Staffing
Clearwell Church of England Primary School had 4 teachers in 2026, one for every 11 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Parkend (Dean Forest Railway), about 2.9 miles away in a straight line.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Peter's Church (by), 290 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Clearwell Church of England Primary School issued 3 suspensions, 7.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from April 2015, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Some aspects are not as strong as at the last graded inspection.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's December 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The school creates a warm, safe environment where pupils develop healthy lifestyles and enjoy learning. Reading teaching is particularly strong, with pupils receiving excellent support to develop phonics skills. Behaviour management is effective, and the school successfully engages families to ensure good attendance and remove barriers to learning.
Key Strengths
- Reading curriculum improvements are having positive impact, particularly in early years and key stage 1 with strong phonics support
- Warm and trusting relationships between staff and pupils, with pupils feeling safe and secure
- Successful behaviour management approach has significantly reduced incidents and suspensions, creating a calm and orderly school
- Regular school attendance is prioritised through positive working relationships with parents
- Clear communication with parents and engagement in school's ongoing development
Areas for Improvement
- In some subjects, teachers lack secure knowledge of what should be taught and when, making it difficult to check pupils' understanding and close knowledge gaps
- Pupils with SEND are not well supported in some subjects, with curriculum not appropriately adapted to meet their needs
- Assessment information is not used effectively in some subjects to plan for pupils' knowledge development
- Pupils lack secure knowledge of British values and have superficial understanding of cultures, faiths and people in Britain
- Knowledge gaps are not accurately identified or closed sufficiently, slowing pupils' progress
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with school creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Whole school concerts, sports events, singing in the local community, outdoor learning experiences
Clearwell Church of England Primary School is a small primary school with 43 pupils where warm relationships exist between staff and pupils. Evidence suggests some aspects of the school's work may not be as strong as at the previous inspection, with the next inspection being a graded inspection.
At a Glance
36.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
17 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2023/24KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
2023/24 academic year
Class Sizes
12.0
Avg class size
1
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Clearwell Church of England Primary School
Term dates
Clearwell Church of England Primary School is a voluntary controlled school, so its term dates are set by Gloucestershire. 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 Clearwell Church of England Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Clearwell Church of England Primary School is in Gloucestershire; for families living there:
Apply to Gloucestershire for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
The typical figure for schools in Gloucestershire is 5 (the median across 338 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 Clearwell Church of England Primary School
Will you get a place at Clearwell Church of England Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Clearwell Church of England Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Clearwell Church of England Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Clearwell Church of England Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Gloucestershire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Clearwell Church of England Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Gloucestershire 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
60%
Available places
42 pupils
70 places
28 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Coleford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Coleford
Across Gloucestershire council
Places available
7,250
Applications
6,016
Got 1st preference
91.6%
Got preferred school
98.1%
All primary applications across Gloucestershire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
16
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
43.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
41
Total Pupils
21
Boys
20
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
4
Teachers
10.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,580
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£8,803
Per pupil
£423k
Total funding
£14k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.9%
Overall absence
21.1%
Persistent absence
38
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Clearwell Church of England Primary School
What are SATs results like at Clearwell Church of England Primary School?
Of the pupils at Clearwell Church of England Primary School who took the 2024 Key Stage 2 assessments, 71% reached the expected standard in reading and 43% did so in maths.
What is Clearwell Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Clearwell Church of England Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in April 2015, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Clearwell Church of England Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Clearwell Church of England Primary School is oversubscribed, Gloucestershire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Clearwell Church of England Primary School?
Clearwell Church of England Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 60% of its 70 places.
How big are the classes at Clearwell Church of England Primary School?
Classes at Clearwell Church of England Primary School average 12 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Clearwell Church of England Primary School?
Clearwell Church of England Primary School has around 41 pupils on roll. 37% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Clearwell Church of England Primary School?
6.9% of sessions were missed at Clearwell Church of England Primary School in 2024/25. 21.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Clearwell Church of England Primary School?
Apply through Gloucestershire's coordinated admissions process, naming Clearwell Church of England Primary 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.
What are Clearwell Church of England Primary School's term dates?
Clearwell Church of England Primary School is a voluntary controlled school, so its term dates are set by Gloucestershire. 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 Clearwell Church of England Primary School?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in Gloucestershire is 5 (the median across 338 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Clearwell Church of England Primary School?
Clearwell Church of England Primary School is at Church Road, Clearwell, Coleford, Gloucestershire, GL16 8LG.
Sources: Gloucestershire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)