Ashwicken Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

The school is judged to be at the strong standard overall, with quality of education at the expected standard. Ashwicken is a small Church of England primary with 103 pupils, mixed-age classes and a high proportion of pupils with EHC plans. Safeguarding standards are met. Personal development and wellbeing is a standout strength, while achievement, attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, early years, inclusion, and leadership and governance are all at the expected standard. Pupils are polite, enthusiastic and proud of their school. They benefit from a well-planned personal development curriculum, a broad range of clubs, and an inclusive ethos. Behaviour is calm and positive, bullying is rare, and pupils with SEND or disadvantage take part fully and progress well from their starting points. Early years provision is effective, with strong communication and language support, and leaders are dedicated, reflective and well supported by governors. The main development points are teaching consistency and attendance. Published KS2 outcomes vary because of small cohorts and complex needs, and some pupils repeat mistakes when teachers do not identify misconceptions quickly enough. Attendance has declined this year and persistent absence has risen, although leaders' responses are appropriate and reasons are largely beyond their control. Next steps focus on strengthening staff expertise and ensuring precise, timely identification of misconceptions so all pupils meet the curriculum's ambitions.

Strengths

• Overall effectiveness judged strong standard.
• Personal development and wellbeing is a standout strength.
• Personal, social and health education curriculum is very well planned and delivered.
• Pupils are polite, enthusiastic, caring and proud of their school.
• Wide range of clubs and extracurricular opportunities, taken up by all pupils.
• Pupils have a highly informed understanding of online safety, healthy relationships, discrimination and British values.
• Behaviour in and around school is highly conducive to learning, with calm routines and rare bullying.
• Safeguarding standards are met, with strong pastoral oversight.
• Curriculum is well sequenced, ambitious and adapted for mixed-age classes.
• Phonics teaching has been strengthened through external partnership.
• Pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils access the same learning and progress well from starting points.
• Early years curriculum is carefully mapped and children leave Reception well prepared for Year 1.
• Inclusion practice is effective, with strong parental partnership and use of pupil premium.
• Leaders know the school well and check the impact of their actions.
• Staff feel well supported, and leaders prioritise professional learning and wellbeing.
• Governors bring a range of skills and monitor safeguarding and funding effectively.
• Parents express confidence and most would recommend the school.

Areas for Improvement

• Published KS2 outcomes vary, with combined attainment below national in 2023/24, though small cohorts and complex needs are significant factors.
• Phonics outcomes have been variable, requiring pupils to catch up by the end of key stage 1.
• Attendance has declined this year and persistent absence has increased, though reasons are largely beyond leaders' control.
• Teachers do not always provide precise guidance or identify misconceptions swiftly, so pupils sometimes repeat mistakes.
• Leaders should continue to strengthen staff expertise so all pupils consistently achieve the curriculum's ambitions.
• Staff should ensure misconceptions are identified swiftly and precisely to prevent repeated errors.

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 Ashwicken Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School attended 94.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.9% 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, 4.9% of pupils at Ashwicken Church of England Voluntary Aided 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 Ashwicken Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School had 20.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 17.9% 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, 19.2% of pupils at Ashwicken Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 9.6% 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 Ashwicken Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School received £8,438 and spent £8,446 for each of its 104 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £102,000 (£977 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 King'S Lynn · Norfolk local authority: places and applications

What is Ashwicken Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ashwicken Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was Ashwicken Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Ashwicken Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does Ashwicken Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School have?

Ashwicken Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School has 104 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ashwicken Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School cover?

Ashwicken Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School for pupils aged 5 to 11.

What are Ashwicken Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 67% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Ashwicken Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?

Ashwicken Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is at East Winch Road, Ashwicken, King's Lynn, Norfolk, PE32 1LY.