Ashcroft Infants' School

Overview

Ashcroft Infants' School is described as a small, caring institution where pupils feel safe and are eager to learn. The report states that the school meets the "expected standard" across all inspection categories, including achievement, attendance, and leadership. Leaders have successfully prepared pupils for junior school, though some inconsistencies in teaching and curriculum delivery remain.

Strengths

• Pupils generally achieve well, with most making positive progress from their starting points and securing key foundations in English and mathematics.
• Attendance has improved significantly and is now above the national average, supported by close and sensitive work with parents and carers.
• Pupils behave well, showing kindness and respect, and feel confident that staff will resolve any issues, creating a "happy place" to learn.
• Staff effectively support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, using clear processes to reduce barriers to learning and ensure steady progress.
• Parents are "extremely positive" about school life, noting that staff ensure children have the "best possible start to their time in education."

Areas to improve

• Leaders must ensure staff implement the phonics programme consistently, as not all staff deliver it with the expected consistency.
• Subject leaders need further support to review the impact of mixed-age classes on their subjects to ensure consistent curriculum delivery across year groups.
• Staff should consistently focus on developing older pupils’ spelling knowledge to improve their writing accuracy and fluency.

Safeguarding

The safeguarding standards are met, with leaders establishing an open culture where concerns are actively identified and managed, ensuring pupils are made safer and feel safe.