Ashton CofE Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 14 January 2025

Pupils are happy and enjoy their learning at Ashton Church of England Primary School. The school wants what is best for all pupils. The nurturing atmosphere around the school is built on genuine care for one another. Pupils hold their teachers in high regard. Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. Classrooms are calm and purposeful. There are high expectations of behaviour and pupils meet these well. Staff know pupils very well. They create and grow strong relationships with pupils and families alike. Pupils care for and support each other. On the playground, pupils play and interact in mixed-age groups extremely well. They are encouraged to look out for each other, and they do this with pride. The school is ambitious for pupils to achieve well, and many pupils rise to these high expectations. However, in some areas, the curriculum is not well developed, and in others, it is not implemented as well as it could be. This means that not all pupils achieve as well as they should. A range of experiences are provided for pupils to enjoy. After-school clubs are available, in which many pupils take part. Art club is a firm favourite. There are strong links with the church and the local community.

What the school should improve

• The school's intentions for the curriculum are not realised consistently. For example, pupils do not get sufficient opportunities to rehearse learning or recall key knowledge. As a result, in some subjects, pupils do not learn as well as they should. The school needs to ensure that staff are supported to implement the curriculum effectively in all subjects so that pupils achieve consistently well.
• The teaching of phonics is not consistent. Staff do not always model sounds clearly, and pupils are not able to practise using what they know often enough. As a result, some pupils who fall behind do not catch up as quickly as they should. The school needs to ensure that all staff deliver the phonics programme effectively.
• The curriculum in the early years has not been thought through carefully enough. Too often, activities provided during continuous provision leave children's learning to chance. The school needs to ensure that the precise knowledge children need to know is identified clearly in all areas of learning.

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