Ofsted's first report card for Ashington CofE Primary rates four of seven areas 'needs attention', including teaching. Behaviour and safeguarding meet the standard.
Ofsted has rated four of seven areas at Ashington CofE Primary School as “needs attention” in the village school’s first report card under the new inspection system. The other three areas, including attendance and behaviour, meet the expected standard. Safeguarding standards are met.
The school, on Foster Lane in Ashington, about nine miles south of Horsham, was inspected on 14 July. The report was published on 28 September (Ofsted report card, URN 125971).
“Needs attention” is the second-lowest of Ofsted’s five grades. It means the expected standards are not met, but inspectors judge that leaders are likely to be able to make the improvements.
The grades
| Area | Grade |
|---|---|
| Achievement | Needs attention |
| Curriculum and teaching | Needs attention |
| Early years | Needs attention |
| Inclusion | Needs attention |
| Attendance and behaviour | Expected standard |
| Personal development and wellbeing | Expected standard |
| Leadership and governance | Expected standard |
| Safeguarding | Met |
At its last full inspection, in May 2022, Ofsted found that Ashington “continues to be a good school” (2022 report, PDF). Ofsted no longer gives schools a single overall grade, so the two reports cannot be compared directly.
What inspectors found
Teaching is inconsistent between classes. Staff “do not consistently check pupils’ understanding or adapt learning”, the report says, so pupils build knowledge less securely in some subjects and classes. Leaders have spotted this and brought in coaching and training, but that work “has not secured consistently effective teaching across the school”.
Results are improving but still below national figures. Three-year trends in combined attainment, writing and phonics remain below the national picture. Some pupils do not secure handwriting, letter formation and fluency in maths well enough.
Support for pupils with extra needs is not applied evenly. Leaders identify pupils’ needs accurately, inspectors say, but staff do not use the agreed approaches consistently. As a result, some pupils with special educational needs, and some disadvantaged pupils, still face barriers in lessons.
In Reception, adults miss chances to extend learning. When children choose their own activities, staff support them warmly but do not routinely deepen their thinking or introduce new words.
The data Ofsted used shows the turnaround and the gap. At the end of Year 6:
- 2022/23: 47% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined
- 2023/24: 44%
- 2024/25: 60%, against 62% nationally
- three-year average: 51%, against 61% nationally
What is going well
The report is far from all bad. Inspectors found that:
- pupils “are happy at this welcoming school” and describe it as a place where “everyone shows love”
- attendance is above national figures, and persistent absence is low and falling
- bullying and discriminatory behaviour are rare, and pupils trust adults to deal with concerns
- leaders and governors know the school’s weaknesses and have “identified the right priorities”
- their work has already strengthened early years, reading and phonics, and Key Stage 2 results
Parents described the school to inspectors as “a happy and safe place”.
The school had 183 pupils at the time of the inspection, against a capacity of 210. It has a Church of England character, in the Diocese of Chichester.
What happens next
Ofsted set the school four next steps:
- make sure staff use what they know about each pupil’s needs consistently, so that pupils with special educational needs and disadvantaged pupils achieve well
- make sure teaching approaches are used consistently, including spotting misconceptions and adapting lessons
- make sure pupils secure early letter formation, so that their handwriting becomes fluent and legible
- make sure Reception’s free-choice activities are well organised and that adults use them to extend learning
What it means for you
- If your child is at the school: the full report card is free to read on Ofsted’s site, with every area explained. The school’s own response, if it publishes one, is the place to ask what it plans to change.
- If you are choosing a primary for September 2027: West Sussex County Council opened applications on Monday 5 October, and the closing date is 11.59pm on Friday 15 January 2027. Schools are now taking visits (WSCC key dates). Read the report card before you visit, and ask the school what it is changing.
- To have your say: Ofsted’s Parent View survey for the school is open at any time, and inspectors read it before each visit.
We could not find a response from the school: the website listed for it on the government’s schools register returned an error when we checked on 6 October. The school or its governors can contact us to add one.
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