Ashley Academy

Ashley Academy was inspected for the first time under section 5, having previously opened as an academy after its predecessor school was judged inadequate. It is part of the WISE multi-academy trust and has a new headteacher. Inspectors found a school performing strongly overall, with high expectations and a clear commitment to giving pupils the best possible educational experiences. Pupils are safe, happy and achieve well. Behaviour is exemplary, personal development is exceptional, and leadership and management are very strong. The curriculum is ambitious and well sequenced, phonics and early reading are expertly taught, pupils with SEND thrive, and early years provision gives children an excellent start. Staff are positive about workload and well-being, and trust leaders and governors know the school well. Safeguarding is effective. The main area for improvement is pupils’ oracy. Some pupils are not as articulate as they could be, which limits how clearly they explain their understanding and makes it harder for the school to check what has been learned.

Strengths

• High expectations and strong commitment ensure pupils love learning and achieve well.
• Exceptional pastoral support helps pupils feel safe, happy and thrive.
• Behaviour is exemplary, with clear routines and positive relationships.
• The ambitious, thoughtfully planned curriculum builds from early years and connects subjects.
• Phonics is expertly delivered, with well-matched books and strong early reading.
• Pupils with SEND are quickly identified and supported to make strong progress.
• Early years provision is exceptional and prepares children well for Year 1.
• Personal development is exemplary, promoting respect, safety and character.
• Pupils benefit from clubs, leadership roles and wider opportunities such as the Wise Passport.
• Attendance is good because of effective initiatives and incentives.
• Staff feel their workload and well-being are prioritised.
• Trustees and governors know the school exceptionally well and share its high aspirations.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils’ oracy skills are not fully developed, limiting how clearly they can articulate their understanding and how well the school can check learning.

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 Ashley Academy attended 94.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.7% 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, 0.2% of pupils at Ashley 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 Ashley Academy had 22.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 22.2% of pupils at Ashley Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.3% 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 Ashley Academy received £7,280 and spent £7,474 for each of its 394 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £244,000 (£620 per pupil).

Across all 16 schools of Wise Academies, income was £8,327 and spending £8,361 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 South Shields · South Tyneside local authority: places and applications

Ashley Academy is part of Wise Academies, which runs 18 schools. The nearest others:

• Town End Academy Sunderland
• Bexhill Academy Sunderland
• North View Academy Sunderland
• Welbeck Academy Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
• Hasting Hill Academy Sunderland
• Croftway Academy Blyth
• Malvin's Close Academy Blyth
• Morpeth Road Academy Blyth
• Central Academy Ashington
• Bothal Academy Ashington

What is Ashley Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ashley Academy is Good, from an inspection in September 2025.

When was Ashley Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Ashley Academy was last inspected in September 2025.

How many pupils does Ashley Academy have?

Ashley Academy has 396 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ashley Academy cover?

Ashley Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Ashley Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 45% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Ashley Academy?

Ashley Academy is at Temple Park Road, South Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE34 0QA.