Ashton Community Science College

Ashton Community Science College continues to demonstrate good performance as a secondary school, maintaining its positive reputation since its last inspection in 2018. The school provides a supportive and inclusive environment where pupils feel safe and valued. They benefit from positive relationships with staff and a wide range of extracurricular activities that enhance their learning experiences. Leaders are focused on fostering a culture of ambition and inclusivity, and there is evidence that pupils, including those with special educational needs, are adequately prepared for their future educational paths.

Strengths

• Pupils are calm, polite, and happy at school.
• Strong, positive relationships exist between staff and pupils.
• Leaders have created an inclusive culture for all pupils, including those with SEND.
• The curriculum is well-organized, focusing on essential knowledge.
• Teachers utilize strong subject knowledge to support learning.
• Pupils have access to a variety of extracurricular activities and trips.
• Leaders prioritize reading and provide effective support for less-confident readers.
• Pupils contribute to a strong community through leadership roles.
• Effective safeguarding measures are in place.

Areas for Improvement

• The number of students choosing to study the English Baccalaureate is below government aspirations.
• Some teaching activities do not sufficiently meet the diverse needs of all pupils.

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 Community Science College attended 93.2% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 19.9% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

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, 4.6% of pupils at Ashton Community Science College were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 6 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 Community Science College had 14.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.6% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

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, 13.5% of pupils at Ashton Community Science College were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 6.5% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 24 pupils.

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 secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Ashton Community Science College received £10,215 and spent £10,076 for each of its 843 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,005,000 (£1,193 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 Preston · Lancashire local authority: places and applications

What is Ashton Community Science College's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ashton Community Science College is Good, from an inspection in June 2023.

When was Ashton Community Science College last inspected by Ofsted?

Ashton Community Science College was last inspected in June 2023.

How many pupils does Ashton Community Science College have?

Ashton Community Science College has 837 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ashton Community Science College cover?

Ashton Community Science College for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Ashton Community Science College's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 47.6, and 48% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Ashton Community Science College?

Ashton Community Science College is at Aldwych Drive, Ashton, Preston, Lancashire, PR2 1SL.