Ashbrooke School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 23 September 2025

Pupils are proud to attend Ashbrooke School. Many pupils have faced disruption to their learning prior to joining the school. Staff provide skilled support that helps pupils recognise their skills and interests. This helps pupils feel happy, safe and well cared for. Pupils know they have staff who want them to do well, both in and out of school. The school is ambitious for its pupils. Pupils benefit from a curriculum that supports them to achieve recognised qualifications, such as GCSEs, where appropriate. Pupils rise to these expectations and achieve well. Pupils typically learn in calm and focused classrooms. The school helps pupils to manage their emotions. Pupils know that staff will listen to them and understand how they are feeling. The school provides a rich range of opportunities to support pupils' personal development. Carefully connected learning in the personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum enables pupils to understand themselves, their emotions and current affairs. Weekly 'pupil-led learning' helps to build resilience and broadens pupils' interests and talents. For example, pupils enjoy learning at the beach and in the forest as well as a wide sports offer. The school is highly effective in raising aspirations. It helps pupils make meaningful connections with local businesses. This helps pupils understand the world of work well.

What the school should improve

• In a small number of subjects, the key skills and knowledge pupils need to build their understanding over time are not sufficiently clear. This prevents pupils from having the opportunities to build and connect their learning effectively in these subjects. The school should ensure that these areas of the curriculum are sufficiently clear and sequenced so that pupils build and connect knowledge and skills over time.
• Sometimes, the pedagogical choices used in lessons are not well matched to the learning intentions of the curriculum. At times, this prevents pupils from learning as well as they could. The school should ensure that staff are well supported to consistently make effective choices when implementing the curriculum.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)