Ashley Down Primary School

Ashley Down Primary School has effectively maintained the standards identified in its previous inspection, with a positive school environment where pupils feel safe and respected. Pupils enjoy their learning, demonstrate high levels of enthusiasm, and achieve well academically. The school promotes a vibrant atmosphere, celebrating the diversity of its community, and encourages pupils to develop personal responsibility and a sense of belonging. Staff support pupils well, particularly helping those facing challenges, enabling a harmonious school culture.

Strengths

• Pupils enjoy coming to school and feel safe.
• The curriculum is ambitious, broad, and well-sequenced.
• Pupils achieve well, including those with SEND.
• Strong subject knowledge among staff enhances learning.
• Effective phonics program contributes to fluent reading.
• Pupils are taught to manage their emotions effectively.
• The school fosters a positive atmosphere for learning.

Areas for Improvement

• Misconceptions among pupils are not always identified promptly.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Ashley Down Primary School attended 95.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.9% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 1.3% of pupils at Ashley Down Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Ashley Down Primary School had 17.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 4.9% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 12.6% of pupils at Ashley Down Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.8% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Ashley Down Primary School received £6,421 and spent £6,653 for each of its 795 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £228,000 (£287 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). This school files a single return with the other schools in its federation, so the figures are for the whole federation.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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What is Ashley Down Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ashley Down Primary School is Good, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was Ashley Down Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Ashley Down Primary School was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does Ashley Down Primary School have?

Ashley Down Primary School has 397 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ashley Down Primary School cover?

Ashley Down Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Ashley Down Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 59% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Ashley Down Primary School?

Ashley Down Primary School is at Downend Road, Horfield, Bristol, BS7 9PD.