Ashleworth Church of England Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 11 March 2026

Pupils experience a poor standard of education at this school. Many pupils do not enjoy their lessons or feel a positive sense of belonging to the school. This is reflected in their infrequent attendance. By the end of Year 6, pupils lack the knowledge expected of them for their age across the curriculum. They are ill-prepared for secondary school. Relationships between the school and many in its community are strained. Turbulence in staffing has created further instability. This lack of successful partnership working has contributed to a decline in standards at the school and means that actions to support improvements have had little effect. Staff lack the subject knowledge necessary to teach well. Consequently, pupils' learning across the curriculum is weak. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do not get the help they need to be successful in their learning. For some pupils, the lack of appropriate support affects how well they behave. While staff try to ensure that all pupils play a full part in school life, they lack the expertise to ensure that pupils with SEND complete tasks independently and confidently. Pupils generally feel safe and staff typically deal with bullying effectively. Older pupils play with younger pupils positively on the playground. However, pupils sometimes experience behaviour from a few of their peers that makes them feel unsafe. Furthermore, in lessons, some pupils do not focus well on their learning. Pupils gain experience of leadership and a sense of responsibility through roles such as school councillors, playground leaders and librarians. They learn about other faiths and cultures which give them some understanding of life in modern Britain. However, they do not benefit from a wide range of interesting opportunities, such as experiences beyond the classroom, to develop their talents and interests.

What the school should improve

• Leaders, and those responsible for governance, must ensure that they urgently improve their capacity to identify, tackle and monitor the weaknesses in the school, so that these are addressed rapidly.
• Leaders must ensure that staff develop the expertise they need to teach the curriculum well, ensuring that there are high expectations of what pupils can do.
• Leaders must ensure that pupils master the basic knowledge and skills they need in reading and writing so that they can access learning across the whole curriculum.
• Leaders must ensure that pupils’ gaps in knowledge across the curriculum are accurately identified and urgently addressed so that they securely develop the essential knowledge and skills they need to progress to the next stage of education.
• Leaders must ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who are disadvantaged, receive the precise support they need to help them learn with increasing independence and develop positive attitudes to their learning.
• Leaders must ensure that staff understand and implement behaviour systems fairly and consistently to ensure that pupils behave consistently well.
• Leaders must ensure that their systems for attendance improve overall attendance and reduce persistent absence for all groups of pupils.
• Leaders should further develop the personal development programme so that pupils benefit from a range of suitable opportunities that broaden their experiences and enable them to develop their talents and interests in areas such as the arts, music and sport.

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