Ashwood Spencer Academy

Ashwood Spencer Academy has been rated as good across all aspects of its operations during its first inspection since joining the Spencer Academies Trust in November 2018. The school is praised for its supportive environment where pupils feel safe and enthusiastic about learning. Leaders have made significant strides in improving the quality of the curriculum, ensuring that it is well-structured and ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. However, there are noted concerns regarding attendance, with some pupils being persistently absent, which impacts their learning.

Strengths

• Leaders have high aspirations for all pupils.
• Pupils are enthusiastic and proud of their learning.
• Strong support systems for pupils with SEND.
• Effective teaching of reading and phonics.
• Curriculum maps are well-structured and connect knowledge across subjects.
• Pupils have access to a variety of extracurricular clubs.
• Skilled staff provide strong behavioural support.
• Staff feel valued and supported by leaders.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistency in assessment practices across foundation subjects.
• Persistent absenteeism affecting some pupils' progress.

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 Ashwood Spencer Academy attended 93.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 19.4% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Ashwood Spencer Academy 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 Ashwood Spencer Academy had 21.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 6.1% 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, 16.7% of pupils at Ashwood Spencer Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.6% 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 2024–25 Ashwood Spencer Academy received £7,467 and spent £7,039 for each of its 633 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £2,308,000 (£3,647 per pupil).

Across all 27 schools of The Spencer Academies Trust, income was £7,619 and spending £7,638 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 Derby · Derby local authority: places and applications

Ashwood Spencer Academy is part of The Spencer Academies Trust, which runs 27 schools. The nearest others:

• Wyndham Spencer Academy Derby
• Castleward Spencer Academy Derby
• Clover Leys Spencer Academy Derby
• Derby Moor Spencer Academy Derby
• Chellaston Fields Spencer Academy Chellaston
• St Giles' Spencer Academy Derby
• Brackensdale Spencer Academy Derby
• Highfields Spencer Academy Derby
• John Port Spencer Academy Derby
• The Mease Spencer Academy Hilton

What is Ashwood Spencer Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ashwood Spencer Academy is Good, from an inspection in March 2023.

When was Ashwood Spencer Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Ashwood Spencer Academy was last inspected in March 2023.

How many pupils does Ashwood Spencer Academy have?

Ashwood Spencer Academy has 659 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ashwood Spencer Academy cover?

Ashwood Spencer Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Ashwood Spencer Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 62% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Ashwood Spencer Academy?

Ashwood Spencer Academy is at Amber Street, Allenton, Derby, Derbyshire, DE24 8FT.