Ayresome Primary School

Ayresome Primary School is performing well overall, having achieved a 'Good' rating across all key areas of inspection. The school fosters a welcoming and inclusive environment where diverse pupils feel valued and supported. With strong relationships between staff and students, the emphasis on student well-being is evident. The curriculum is ambitious and broad, with strong support for students’ reading from a young age. However, the school faces challenges with fluctuating attendance due to many pupils joining mid-year, which has historically affected attainment levels.

Strengths

• Strong relationships between staff and pupils
• Inclusive and nurturing environment
• Ambitious and broad curriculum
• Emphasis on early reading and phonics
• Well-managed behavior and positive school ethos
• Effective safeguarding measures in place

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent assessment practices across subjects
• Teachers' selection of activities sometimes misaligned with intended learning outcomes
• SEND support plans lack specificity

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 Ayresome Primary School attended 94.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 23.3% 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, 0.4% of pupils at Ayresome 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 Ayresome Primary School had 15.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 2.5% 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, 20.0% of pupils at Ayresome Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.6% 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 Ayresome Primary School received £7,971 and spent £7,397 for each of its 663 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £858,000 (£1,294 per pupil).

Across all 10 schools of Ad Astra Academy Trust, income was £7,778 and spending £7,741 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 Middlesbrough · Middlesbrough local authority: places and applications

Ayresome Primary School is part of Ad Astra Academy Trust, which runs 10 schools. The nearest others:

• Sunnyside Academy Middlesbrough
• Crooksbarn Primary School Stockton-On-Tees
• Rosebrook Primary School Stockton-On-Tees
• West Park Primary School Hartlepool
• Brougham Primary School Hartlepool
• West View Primary School Hartlepool
• Barnard Grove Primary School Hartlepool
• Deaf Hill Primary School Trimdon Station
• Kelloe Primary School Kelloe

What is Ayresome Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ayresome Primary School is Good, from an inspection in July 2023.

When was Ayresome Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Ayresome Primary School was last inspected in July 2023.

How many pupils does Ayresome Primary School have?

Ayresome Primary School has 705 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ayresome Primary School cover?

Ayresome Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Ayresome Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 46% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Ayresome Primary School?

Ayresome Primary School is at Worcester Street, Gresham Ward, Middlesbrough, Cleveland, TS1 4NT.