The Ashley School

Overview

The Ashley School continues to be an outstanding school, described as a special place where pupils thrive and feel part of a "big happy family." Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum tailored to individual needs, ensuring pupils achieve exceptionally well and are extremely well prepared for their future lives.

Strengths

• Pupils behave very well in a calm and orderly environment, with bullying being rare and kindness and respect being "givens."
• Staff possess a strong understanding of pupils’ needs, using purposeful questions to give pupils a ‘voice’ in their learning and building their confidence.
• The curriculum is tailored appropriately, with individual targets woven through every activity to help pupils make excellent progress in small steps.
• Reading is prioritised effectively, with well-trained staff providing extra support that improves communication skills and reading confidence.
• Careers guidance is a strength, offering meaningful qualifications and practical activities like a car valeting service to develop business and teamwork skills.

Areas to improve

• The report identifies no significant areas for improvement.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with leaders establishing a strong culture where staff are alert to signs of concern and work effectively with external agencies to support vulnerable pupils.