Ashmole Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Ashmole Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

The headteacher of this school is Christopher Tofallis. This school is part of Ashmole Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school.

The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Tim Sullivan, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Rudi Ramdarshan.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive and feel safe in this warm and welcoming school community. Every pupil is given the opportunity to flourish.

The school motto, 'excellence, aspiration and care', is deeply embedded in every... aspect of school life.

The school has high academic ambitions for pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils demonstrate positive attitudes towards their learning.

They show focus, determination and a willingness to improve. As a result, they achieve highly, which is reflected in the published outcomes. They are exceptionally well prepared for the next stage of their education.

Pupils' behaviour is exemplary. Children in early years take turns and move calmly between activities. Older pupils are keen to learn and respond quickly to teachers' instructions.

The school's values are woven throughout daily life. Pupils feel a strong sense of belonging and pride in their school. They are consistently encouraged to be themselves and understand that making mistakes is a valuable part of learning.

The school provides pupils with a diverse range of opportunities to develop their talents and interests. Pupils learn the importance of helping others through activities such as fundraising and collecting for the food bank. Pupil voice is embedded throughout school life.

For example, 'safety rangers' lead peer sessions to promote online safety.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school's curriculum is ambitious. It is carefully designed to ensure that pupils acquire essential knowledge, vocabulary and skills.

Pupils develop exceptionally detailed knowledge across subjects. They recall this learning with confidence and ease. Curriculum content is carefully organised from the early years onwards, enabling pupils to build their learning progressively.

For example, in mathematics, children in Reception explore mathematical concepts such as 'more than' and 'less than'. Older pupils use this growing knowledge of number to solve increasingly complex problems. Similarly, in science, younger pupils investigate everyday materials, developing skills in observation, questioning and simple testing.

As they progress, older pupils apply these skills to plan fair tests and interpret results. They explain their findings with growing precision, such as when studying how light travels.

The school has effective processes in place for identifying the needs of pupils with SEND.

It works closely with a range of agencies to ensure that pupils receive the right help. Pupils with SEND are fully included in lessons and receive the support that they need to succeed.

Reading is at the heart of the school's curriculum.

Well-trained staff deliver the phonics programme effectively, teaching and modelling sounds with precision. Regular checks on pupils' learning enable staff to identify and address any gaps in pupils' phonics knowledge. Books are carefully matched to the sounds that pupils are learning.

This helps them to read fluently with confidence and enjoyment. The school selects ambitious texts to expose each year group to a broad and rich range of literature.

Pupils demonstrate exceptional respect for one another.

They articulate their thoughts and feelings with remarkable clarity. Pupils have exemplary attitudes to their learning. This helps create a positive learning environment where everyone can learn without disruption.

In the early years, children quickly learn routines and expectations. They are highly engaged in their learning and consistently demonstrate positive behaviour. Staff support children in developing secure social and emotional skills.

This provides children with the foundations for future success. Attendance is a high priority for the school. It works closely with families to ensure that pupils attend regularly and on time.

The school provides pupils with a wide range of opportunities to develop their character, confidence and interests. Roles such as school councillors and eco-warriors are elected democratically. These responsibilities help pupils to build leadership skills and a strong sense of community.

Pupils also take part in charity events such as mini marathons and danceathons. These experiences help them to develop empathy and social awareness. A variety of after-school clubs are offered, including crochet, cooking, coding, chess and Mandarin.

These clubs give pupils the chance to explore new skills and hobbies. The curriculum is enriched through regular trips, 'wow' days and themed weeks. These experiences help bring learning to life and deepen pupils' understanding of the world around them.

Leaders and governors, together with the trust, share a clear and ambitious vision for all pupils to succeed. They prioritise high-quality professional development. Staff speak exceptionally positively about the support that they receive.

The school's decisions are firmly rooted in securing the best outcomes for pupils. This, combined with leaders being mindful of staff well-being, results in a dedicated staff team which takes great pride in being part of Ashmole Primary School.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged outstanding for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding for overall effectiveness in May 2019.

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