Ashlawn School

Ashlawn School has improved substantially since its previous inspection, when it was judged inadequate. It is now performing well across all inspected areas, including the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth-form provision. The school has seen a profound cultural shift, with a shared vision, improved behaviour, calm and purposeful lessons, and a stronger sense of community. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. The school is ambitious for pupils in both its grammar and non-selective streams and has a well-designed curriculum. Reading is a particular strength, and classroom practice has improved through high-quality professional development. Personal development is strong, with a well-considered programme and extensive enrichment opportunities. Sixth-form students value their learning and receive strong guidance for their next steps. Inclusion and pastoral support have been strengthened, SEND support is better, and a renewed attendance focus is in place. Staff feel valued, and parents are engaged through forums. There are still areas for improvement. Curriculum implementation is not consistently high across all subjects, so some pupils do not benefit from the same quality of learning. Disadvantaged pupils, especially those who are persistently absent, do not achieve as well as their peers and may miss the English and mathematics qualifications needed for their next stage. The school’s strategy to support disadvantaged pupils is not having sufficient impact, and staff at all levels need to understand and fulfil their roles in improving outcomes and attendance for these pupils.

Strengths

• Significant improvement since the previous inadequate inspection
• Strong reading culture and support for pupils’ reading
• Ambitious and well-designed curriculum for grammar and non-selective streams
• Improved classroom practice supported by high-quality professional development
• Strong personal development programme preparing pupils for modern British society
• Wide range of extra-curricular and enrichment opportunities
• Effective sixth-form provision with strong guidance for next steps
• Joined-up inclusion and pastoral support, with strengthened SEND provision
• Restorative justice approach contributing to reducing suspensions
• Staff feel valued and parents are engaged through parent forums

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum implementation is inconsistent within subjects, leading to pockets of variation in quality
• Some disadvantaged pupils do not achieve as well as their peers
• Persistent absence among some disadvantaged pupils limits their learning and outcomes
• Some disadvantaged pupils do not gain the English and mathematics qualifications needed for their next stage
• The strategy to support disadvantaged pupils is not having sufficient impact
• Staff roles and responsibilities for improving disadvantaged pupils’ outcomes and attendance need clearer understanding and fulfilment

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 Ashlawn School attended 91.5% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 19.2% 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, 6.8% of pupils at Ashlawn School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was 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 Ashlawn School had 19.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.4% 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, 13.0% of pupils at Ashlawn School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.7% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

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 2024–25 Ashlawn School received £7,201 and spent £7,411 for each of its 1,559 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £690,000 (£442 per pupil).

Across all 3 schools of Transforming Lives Educational Trust, income was £7,516 and spending £7,442 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Rugby · Warwickshire local authority: places and applications

Ashlawn School is part of Transforming Lives Educational Trust, which runs 3 schools. The nearest others:

• Houlton School Rugby
• Henry Hinde School Rugby

What is Ashlawn School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ashlawn School is Good, from an inspection in July 2025.

When was Ashlawn School last inspected by Ofsted?

Ashlawn School was last inspected in July 2025.

How many pupils does Ashlawn School have?

Ashlawn School has 1,564 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ashlawn School cover?

Ashlawn School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Ashlawn School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 50.2, and 56% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Ashlawn School?

Ashlawn School is at Ashlawn Road, Hillmorton, Rugby, Warwickshire, CV22 5ET.