Ashfield Infant & Nursery School

Ashfield Infant & Nursery School is a welcoming, caring school where pupils feel safe and happy. Safeguarding arrangements are effective, attendance is in line with national averages, and behaviour is generally good. The early years provision is a clear strength: children benefit from an ambitious curriculum, effective support and strong relationships, and they achieve well. Personal development is also well developed, with a wide range of opportunities, strong pastoral support and purposeful citizenship activities. However, the school is not yet securing consistently strong learning across key stage 1. By the time pupils leave, they are not as well prepared for key stage 2 as they should be. Progress is uneven beyond English and mathematics, some pupils have gaps in knowledge, and those ready for more demanding work are not always stretched. The curriculum is broad but in some subjects leaders have not defined the key knowledge sharply enough, and assessment is not used consistently to check understanding or move pupils on. Teaching adaptations and inclusion support do not always help pupils overcome barriers, particularly those with SEND or other disadvantages. Leaders have an ambitious vision and are taking appropriate steps, but their monitoring and governors' oversight are not yet sharp enough to ensure improvements happen quickly. Overall, the school has significant strengths in care, early years and personal development, but it needs to strengthen curriculum, teaching, inclusion and leadership oversight to improve achievement across the school.

Strengths

• Welcoming, caring and supportive school where pupils feel safe and happy
• Pupils build positive friendships and look out for one another
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open culture of safeguarding
• Attendance is in line with national averages and persistent absence is below national
• Pupils generally behave well and are friendly and respectful
• Early years provision is a strength, with an ambitious curriculum and effective support
• Children in early years achieve well and are well prepared for Year 1
• Personal development programme is broad and inclusive, offering wide enrichment opportunities
• Pupils receive strong pastoral and emotional support, including tailored programmes
• Pupils develop confidence through leadership roles and community contributions
• Staff support pupils well in phonics, reading, writing, handwriting, spelling and number skills
• Leaders have an ambitious vision and are bringing about positive changes
• Leaders monitor staff wellbeing and provide good professional development

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils are not as well prepared for key stage 2 as they should be when they leave
• Progress in key stage 1 is inconsistent, particularly in subjects beyond English and mathematics
• Some pupils have gaps in knowledge and find it difficult to remember important learning
• Pupils ready for more demanding work do not develop their understanding deeply enough
• In some subjects, leaders do not clearly identify the key knowledge pupils should learn
• Lesson activities do not always focus sharply on the most important learning
• Staff do not consistently check what pupils understand or use assessment to plan next steps
• Staff do not routinely check that all pupils understand, as more confident pupils often answer
• Adaptations and support in lessons do not always help pupils overcome barriers, especially those with SEND
• Some pupils, particularly those with SEND, do not build their knowledge securely
• Leaders' actions to improve curriculum and teaching are at an early stage and impact is not yet seen
• Leaders and governors do not check some aspects of the school's work closely enough
• Governors' systems for checking whether leaders' actions are bringing intended improvements are at an early stage

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 Ashfield Infant & Nursery School attended 95.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.1% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Ashfield Infant & Nursery 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 Ashfield Infant & Nursery School had 23.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 12.0% of pupils at Ashfield Infant & Nursery School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.0% 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 Ashfield Infant & Nursery School received £6,825 and spent £6,811 for each of its 200 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £56,000 (£278 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 Workington · Cumberland local authority: places and applications

What is Ashfield Infant & Nursery School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ashfield Infant & Nursery School is Needs attention, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Ashfield Infant & Nursery School last inspected by Ofsted?

Ashfield Infant & Nursery School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Ashfield Infant & Nursery School have?

Ashfield Infant & Nursery School has 200 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ashfield Infant & Nursery School cover?

Ashfield Infant & Nursery School for pupils aged 3 to 7.

Where is Ashfield Infant & Nursery School?

Ashfield Infant & Nursery School is at Newlands Lane, Workington, Cumbria, CA14 3JG.