Ashton Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 21 April 2026

Pupils love their school, and they enjoy learning. They have a range of opportunities to learn about the local heritage and culture through events, trips and visits. These experiences add to the curriculum, such as visiting a local mill to complement their history work. There are also a wealth of opportunities for pupils to develop their talents and interests, such as through ultraviolet dodgeball, learning a musical instrument and clog dancing. In addition, each year group completes work to improve the community, such as raising money to buy food and cooking equipment for a local charity for the homeless. Pupils have a strong sense of belonging at the school. They feel included in all aspects of school life. The trusting relationships that pupils have with staff help them to feel safe. Pupils get along well with each other. They have positive attitudes to learning, and they respond well to the high expectations that are set for their behaviour. Pupils agree that bullying is rare. If it does happen, staff deal with it promptly. Pupils’ attendance at school is similar to the national average. Some pupils do not currently achieve as well as they could in some subjects. Leaders are developing the curriculum, but these changes are not fully in place. As a result, gaps in pupils' key knowledge persist. At the end of key stage 2, pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is typically below the national average. This means that pupils are not as well prepared as they should be for their next steps in learning. Leaders quickly identify the barriers that some pupils face to their learning and wellbeing. This enables staff to provide tailored support. This support helps pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and other disadvantaged pupils, to succeed.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should continue to design and implement their new curriculum to ensure that pupils gain the key knowledge that they need in order to achieve well across the curriculum.
• Leaders should ensure that teachers check more consistently on what key knowledge pupils remember. They should ensure that gaps in learning are addressed so that pupils build secure knowledge over time and are ready for the next steps in their education.
• Governors should ensure that they tighten their systems for quality assuring the work of the school and, in particular, the impact this has on pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those known to social care.

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