Ashover Primary School

Ashover Primary School is performing very strongly overall, with every inspected area judged at the strong standard and safeguarding standards met. Pupils achieve highly across the curriculum, including above-average outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics, and disadvantaged pupils also achieve well. Attendance is high, persistent absence is low, behaviour is excellent, and leaders have reduced suspensions to none this year. The early years provision gives children secure foundations, while the ambitious curriculum, effective teaching and strong inclusion help all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make sustained progress. Pupils feel safe, known and valued, and they benefit from a broad personal development programme and a wide range of enrichment opportunities. The school serves a smaller-than-average primary population, with lower-than-average proportions of pupils eligible for free school meals and pupils with EHC plans, and it has no resourced SEND provision. Leadership and governance are a particular strength: leaders know the school and community well, evaluate their work accurately, and provide high-quality professional development. Staff morale, trust and teamwork are strong. The main next step is for leaders to continue evaluating the support for pupils with SEND so that its sustained, transformational impact on achievement and wider experiences is clear over time. There are no significant weaknesses in the report; the school is working above the standard expected of it.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve highly across the curriculum, with national test outcomes above national averages in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Disadvantaged pupils achieve well and generally experience a narrowing disadvantage gap.
• Early years provision builds secure foundations in communication, language, reading, writing and mathematics.
• Attendance is above national averages and persistent absence remains low.
• Pupils behave very well, move calmly around school and focus closely on learning.
• Leaders have sharply reduced suspensions, recording none this year.
• The curriculum is ambitious, broad and well sequenced from Nursery to Year 6.
• Staff know their subjects well, explain ideas clearly and provide precise support or challenge.
• Reading, writing and mathematics are prioritised, with systematic phonics and closely matched books.
• Inclusion is strong: pupils with SEND learn alongside peers and receive tailored support.
• Leaders use pupil premium funding effectively to remove academic, social and financial barriers.
• Every disadvantaged pupil has joined at least one club or enrichment activity.
• Leadership and governance are strong, with a clear vision, accurate evaluation and decisive action.
• Staff benefit from high-quality, research-led professional learning and feel valued and supported.
• The personal development and wellbeing programme is ambitious and meets national requirements.
• Pupils learn about healthy relationships, safety, British values and respect for diversity.
• Pupils feel safe, known and valued, and say bullying rarely happens and is dealt with quickly.
• Pupils take on leadership roles such as wellbeing ambassadors, digital leaders and sports leaders.
• Enrichment includes clubs, music, sport, gardening, visits and residential trips.
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open and positive culture of safeguarding.

Areas for Improvement

• Leaders should continue to evaluate support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities so that its sustained, transformational impact on achievement and wider experiences is clear over time.

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 Ashover Primary School attended 97.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 1.6% 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, 0.5% of pupils at Ashover 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 Ashover Primary School had 22.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.4% 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, 11.9% of pupils at Ashover Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.4% 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 Ashover Primary School received £8,021 and spent £8,326 for each of its 210 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £70,000 (£331 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 Chesterfield · Derbyshire local authority: places and applications

What is Ashover Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ashover Primary School is Strong standard, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Ashover Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Ashover Primary School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Ashover Primary School have?

Ashover Primary School has 210 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ashover Primary School cover?

Ashover Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 79% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Ashover Primary School?

Ashover Primary School is at Narrowleys Lane, Ashover, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S45 0AU.