Spa Academy Askern

Spa Academy Askern is a school where pupils are happy, settled and feel safe. Inspectors found strong personal development and wellbeing, effective leadership and governance, and secure inclusion, with especially strong provision for pupils with the highest levels of SEND. Pupils benefit from a wide range of enrichment and leadership opportunities, and disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND are well supported. Safeguarding standards are met. The school is part of Leger Education Trust and has had significant leadership changes since its last inspection, with a new headteacher, deputy headteacher, SENCo and trust/local governing body chairs; it also serves a community with well-above-average free school meals and SEN support. However, important areas require further development. Achievement is variable, and end-of-key-stage-2 outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics have not been high enough over time, meaning pupils are not as well prepared as they could be for the next stage. Curriculum and teaching need attention because implementation is inconsistent across classrooms, foundational skills are not always secure, and assessment does not consistently identify gaps or move learning on. Attendance is improving but remains below national averages, and persistent absence is above national, including for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND. Leaders have a clear, ambitious vision and have brought about notable improvements, supported by the trust and local governing board. The main priorities are to ensure consistent curriculum delivery, strengthen foundational skills and outcomes for all pupils, and sustain the work to improve attendance.

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met and the school has an open, positive safeguarding culture.
• Personal development and wellbeing are strong and placed at the heart of the school.
• Pastoral care is central, with leaders demonstrating deep understanding of pupils' needs, interests and talents.
• The personal development curriculum is comprehensive and well tailored, including healthy relationships, British values and protected characteristics.
• Pupils are confident, respectful and articulate, and know how to keep themselves and others safe online and offline.
• An extensive range of clubs and enrichment activities is offered, with participation tracked to ensure an equal offer for SEND and disadvantaged pupils.
• Inclusion is well led, with robust identification, proactive specialist support and effective training for staff.
• Provision for pupils with the highest levels of SEND is a particular strength, with bespoke support and adapted learning.
• Pupils with SEND progress well from their different starting points.
• Disadvantaged pupils' funding is strategically planned and research-informed.
• Leadership and governance are effective: leaders have a clear, ambitious vision and have brought about notable improvements.
• The local governing board and trust provide effective support and challenge and ensure statutory duties are fulfilled.
• Staff training is prioritised and staff feel well supported with manageable workload.
• Pupils behave maturely and respectfully, with positive attitudes to learning and calm, purposeful lessons.
• Bullying is uncommon and dealt with appropriately, and pupils with additional needs are well supported to manage emotions and conduct.
• Attendance systems have improved, attendance is improving this year, and persistent absence is falling.
• The curriculum has been significantly developed with high ambition, well-sequenced plans and retrieval opportunities.
• The multiplication tables approach has had a positive impact, with Year 4 pupils consistently above national averages.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils' achievement across school is variable.
• End of key stage 2 outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics have not been high enough over time.
• Pupils are not as well prepared as they could be for their next steps in education.
• Some year groups are not closing gaps in foundational knowledge quickly enough.
• Curriculum implementation is inconsistent across classrooms, particularly in foundational skills and knowledge.
• Support for writing, number formation and pencil grip varies, and effective practice is not widespread enough.
• Assessment is not always effective in identifying gaps or moving learning on.
• Work is sometimes assessed incorrectly and recurring pupil errors are not always addressed, reinforcing mistakes.
• Handwriting and spelling teaching is at an early stage and too soon to show impact.
• Attendance over time has not been high enough, including for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND.
• Attendance remains below national averages.
• Persistent absence remains above national averages, although it is falling.
• Leaders should ensure all staff teach the curriculum consistently and effectively so pupils build foundational skills and knowledge across all subjects.
• Leaders should continue improvement strategies so all pupils achieve as high as possible across the curriculum before leaving.
• Leaders should embed attendance work to ensure improvements are sustained over time.

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 Spa Academy Askern attended 91.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 27.2% 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, 7.5% of pupils at Spa Academy Askern 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 Spa Academy Askern had 23.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 38.8% 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, 19.0% of pupils at Spa Academy Askern were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.6% 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 Spa Academy Askern received £7,486 and spent £7,221 for each of its 244 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £156,000 (£639 per pupil).

Across all 8 schools of Leger Education Trust, income was £7,997 and spending £7,894 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 Doncaster · Doncaster local authority: places and applications

Spa Academy Askern is part of Leger Education Trust, which runs 8 schools. The nearest others:

• Askern Littlemoor Infant Academy Doncaster
• Askern Moss Road Infant Academy Doncaster
• Campsmount Academy Doncaster
• Scawthorpe Castle Hills Primary Academy Doncaster
• Ridgewood School Doncaster
• Barnburgh Primary Academy Doncaster
• Tornedale Infant Academy Doncaster

What is Spa Academy Askern's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Spa Academy Askern is Needs attention, from an inspection in July 2026.

When was Spa Academy Askern last inspected by Ofsted?

Spa Academy Askern was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does Spa Academy Askern have?

Spa Academy Askern has 253 pupils on roll.

What age range does Spa Academy Askern cover?

Spa Academy Askern for pupils aged 7 to 11.

What are Spa Academy Askern's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 61% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Spa Academy Askern?

Spa Academy Askern is at Sutton Road, Askern, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN6 0AQ.