Ash Trees Academy

Ash Trees Academy continues to demonstrate good performance as a special school catering to pupils with a range of difficulties including communication, interaction, sensory, and physical needs. The school has established strong and caring relationships among staff and pupils, which support effective learning. Leaders have designed a curriculum that integrates pupils' EHC plan outcomes effectively, allowing for personalized learning pathways. While the school has made significant efforts to enhance communication skills and has well-structured programs in early reading and mathematics, some gaps were identified in the transition of pupils from pre-phonics to structured phonics learning and in the PSHE curriculum, particularly regarding essential knowledge for future education stages.

Strengths

• High expectations by leaders and staff for all pupils.
• Strong and caring relationships support learning.
• Effective integration of EHC plan outcomes in curriculum planning.
• Expert understanding by teachers in adapting learning to individual needs.
• Consistent behavior management and support for emotional regulation.
• Effective use of objects, symbols, and Makaton to develop communication skills.
• Well-established curriculum for teaching mathematics tailored to pupils' needs.
• Positive involvement of parents in personal learning goal design.

Areas for Improvement

• Limited progression opportunities for pupils between pre-phonics and structured phonics programs.
• Insufficient explicit teaching opportunities in PSHE for important knowledge.
• Lack of opportunities for pupils to foster interests outside the taught curriculum.

In 2024–25 pupils at Ash Trees Academy attended 91.4% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 23.4% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 35.3%).

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 Ash Trees Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 5.1%). 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 Ash Trees Academy had 7.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.5% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.5%).

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 Ash Trees Academy had 189 pupils, 100.0% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 99.5%).

It says it provides for: specific learning difficulty; moderate learning difficulty; severe learning difficulty; profound and multiple learning difficulty; social, emotional and mental health; speech, language and communication needs; hearing impairment; vision impairment; multi-sensory impairment; physical disability; autistic spectrum disorder; other difficulty or disability.

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

In 2024–25 Ash Trees Academy received £25,685 and spent £24,507 for each of its 183 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £848,000 (£4,633 per pupil).

Across all 5 schools of The Ascent Academies' Trust, income was £23,705 and spending £23,261 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.

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All schools in Billingham · Stockton-on-Tees local authority: places and applications

Ash Trees Academy is part of The Ascent Academies' Trust, which runs 6 schools. The nearest others:

• Hope Wood Academy Durham
• Portland Academy Sunderland
• Barbara Priestman Academy Sunderland
• Mowbray Academy Bedale
• Springwater Academy Harrogate

What is Ash Trees Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ash Trees Academy is Good, from an inspection in February 2023.

When was Ash Trees Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Ash Trees Academy was last inspected in February 2023.

How many pupils does Ash Trees Academy have?

Ash Trees Academy has 189 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ash Trees Academy cover?

Ash Trees Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Ash Trees Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 0% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Ash Trees Academy?

Ash Trees Academy is at Bowes Road, Billingham, TS23 2BU.