Ashton Hayes Primary School

Ashton Hayes Primary School is a small village primary with 134 pupils and mixed-age classes, and it has had recent changes in leadership. Inspectors found strong provision in attendance and behaviour, early years and inclusion. Pupils are happy, safe and behave highly positively; attendance is consistently above national averages, including for pupils with SEND. The early years provision has been substantially improved, and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive highly personalised support. Safeguarding standards are met. Overall, achievement, curriculum and teaching, leadership and governance, and personal development are at the expected standard. Published 2025 outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics were below or close to national averages, with writing weaker, partly because weaknesses in the previous curriculum meant some pupils did not achieve as well as they should. The refreshed curriculum is having a positive impact, but it is still relatively new and has not yet fully improved achievement across all subjects. Personal development is broad, but recent work on diversity and fundamental British values is in its infancy, leaving some pupils with knowledge gaps. Leaders and governors have an accurate view of the school, staff are positive about change, and parents are supportive. Next steps are to embed the refreshed curriculum and further develop the personal development programme.

Strengths

• Meticulous oversight of behaviour and attendance
• Highly positive pupil behaviour and respectful relationships
• Attendance consistently above national averages, including for pupils with SEND
• Early years provision substantially improved and well matched to children’s needs
• Strong inclusive culture with highly personalised support for pupils with SEND
• Effective use of pupil premium funding to support disadvantaged pupils’ participation
• Broad and balanced curriculum adapted for mixed-age classes
• Teaching typically engages pupils well and addresses misconceptions
• Strategic leadership with accurate understanding of strengths and weaknesses
• Positive staff wellbeing and trust in leadership
• Governors provide helpful challenge and support
• Strong pastoral support and positive relationships with parents
• Wide range of enrichment opportunities and pupil leadership roles

Areas for Improvement

• Published 2025 attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is below or close to national averages
• Writing outcomes are weaker than national averages
• The refreshed curriculum is still relatively new and not yet fully embedded across all subjects
• Personal development work on diversity and fundamental British values is in its infancy, leaving some pupils with knowledge gaps
• Published outcomes for disadvantaged pupils are well below national averages, with a large disadvantage gap

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 Ashton Hayes Primary School attended 96.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.0% 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, 0.8% of pupils at Ashton Hayes 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 Ashton Hayes Primary School had 19.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.7% 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, 2.2% of pupils at Ashton Hayes Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 0.7% 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 Ashton Hayes Primary School received £6,892 and spent £7,384 for each of its 134 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £145,000 (-£1,079 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).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Chester · Cheshire West and Chester local authority: places and applications

What is Ashton Hayes Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ashton Hayes Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in October 2026.

When was Ashton Hayes Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Ashton Hayes Primary School was last inspected in October 2026.

How many pupils does Ashton Hayes Primary School have?

Ashton Hayes Primary School has 134 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ashton Hayes Primary School cover?

Ashton Hayes Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Ashton Hayes Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 44% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Ashton Hayes Primary School?

Ashton Hayes Primary School is at Church Road, Ashton Hayes, Chester, Cheshire, CH3 8AB.