School Chooser

Church of the Ascension CofE Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedAcademyChurch of England303 pupilsKingswinfordDudley
School Chooser Score
60
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 41 to 77
Out of 100. Better than 31% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedNeeds attention teachingOfsted report card, January 2026
Reached the expected level at 1173%England 63%
Attendance96.1%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families5%Far fewer than most schools
Parents would recommend95%108 Parent View responses
Places12 spare303 pupils, 315 places

Church of the Ascension CofE Primary School is a converter academy in Kingswinford for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 303 pupils and room for 315. About 5 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 60 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 31% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in January 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.

New Street, Wall Heath, Kingswinford, DY6 9AH01384 818760chur-ascen.dudley.sch.ukMrs Lindsay Mason headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted visited on 20 January 2026. Instead of one overall word, it now gives a grade for each part of school life. Read the full report on Ofsted's website.

TeachingOfsted calls this “curriculum and teaching”
Needs attention
Achievement
As expected
Behaviour and attendanceOfsted calls this “attendance and behaviour”
As expected
Support for every childOfsted calls this “inclusion”
As expected
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development and wellbeing”
As expected
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and governance”
As expected
Early years
As expected
SafeguardingAre pupils kept safe?
Pupils are kept safe
Met
Ofsted's scale:ExceptionalStrong standardExpected standardNeeds attentionUrgent improvement

Ofsted says these new grades can't be lined up against the old one-word grades.

Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
4 November 2021UngradedSchool remains Good

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

44 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1173%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level14%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score105.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score104.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 69%69%20172018: 81%81%20182019: 77%77%20192023: 77%77%20232024: 62%62%20242025: 73%73%2025
Since 2017: +4%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023†2019†2018†2017†DudleyEngland
Pupils tested444548444336
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths73%62%77%77%81%69%63%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths14%18%17%14%23%11%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0105.0107.0106.0109.0107.0105.0105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score104.0106.0106.0107.0108.0105.0104.0104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score107.0108.0109.0109.0108.0108.0105.0105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard80%80%90%84%91%83%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard80%76%88%89%95%81%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)75%78%81%82%95%89%
Reading progressReading progress score+0.6+1.2+1.9+0.2
Maths progressMaths progress score-0.2+1.3+1.9-1.9
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged67%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged79%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

† These results are for Church of the Ascension CofE Primary School, the school this one replaced in November 2022. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. None of the gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
67%80%
Gap 13 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Nearly full312 pupils for 315 places, 2024/25
99% full

Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference.

Will my child get a place?

The last child to get a place lived 2.0 miles away in 2026, 3.7 miles away in 2024. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils, faith and other priority groups are placed first. After that, the closer you live, the better your chances. Type in your postcode to see how far away you are.

We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.

How places were given out for September 2026. More children applied than there were places. The last place went to a child living 2.0 miles from the school. Living closer than that didn't guarantee a place, but living much further away meant missing out that year.

EntryPlacesPut it firstApplied at allGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary4531114452.0 milesLA
2025 Primary453310538all offeredLA
2024 Primary454399453.7 milesLA

The distances are the council's own, usually measured in a straight line from home to the school gate. If the distance is getting shorter each year, the school is getting harder to get into. See which councils we have this data for.

What a home within 2.0 miles of the school costs

Typical sale price within 2.0 miles of the school£265,953half sold for £220k to £325k
Homes sold1,439December 2023 to December 2025, Land Registry
Compared with the district+12%a typical home in the district sells for £237,000

Every home sold within that distance of the school (the typical cut-off over the last three years), of any type, from HM Land Registry records. If homes here cost more than the district average, that is the price people pay to live close enough to get in.

What parents say

Would recommend the school95%England 87%
My child is happy here99%agree or strongly agree
My child feels safe96%
Positive overall93%
My child is happy at this school
99%England 89%
My child feels safe at this school
96%England 90%
Pupils are well behavedThe school makes sure its pupils are well behaved
91%England 83%
Has your child been bullied here?Parents answering yes
18% yesEngland 18%
Bullying was dealt with quickly and effectivelyOnly parents whose child was bullied
69%England 50%
My child gets the right support to learn well
89%England 85%
Does your child have SEND?Parents answering yes
19% yesEngland 26%
The school gives them the support they needOnly parents of children with SEND
60%England 71%
The school communicates well with me
85%England 80%
My concerns have been dealt with properlyWhen I have raised concerns
67%England 69%
Decisions put the child's best interests first
85%England 82%
I would recommend this school
95%England 87%
Overall view of the school is positive
93%England 82%
Strongly agreeAgreeDon't knowDisagreeStrongly disagreeEngland, agree or yes

From Ofsted's Parent View survey: 108 parents answered in the year to 6 April 2026. Parents choose whether to fill it in, and many only do so when an inspection is coming, so don't read too much into small differences. The England figures are the average for primary schools with enough answers to publish.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll303Census January 2026
Places31596% full
Pupils from low-income families5%5% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English2%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support12%35 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%6 pupils with a plan
Average class size27.511 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils9%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)5%£24,800 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls147 / 156
White British pupils90%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 24.8 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 29.8 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (21), emotional and mental health (10), Specific learning difficulty (6), Vision impairment (2), Autistic spectrum disorder (1), Physical disability (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census2026202520242023
Pupils on roll303312304309
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals5%6%6%6%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language2%3%3%3%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support7%9%6%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%2%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.1% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.1%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school6.9%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.32024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.1%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/22†2020/21†2018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence3.9%5.2%4.6%6.3%2.5%3.2%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.9%3.6%3.3%5.2%2.0%2.2%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.1%1.5%1.3%1.1%0.5%1.0%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence6.9%12.3%8.6%14.2%4.3%6.9%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.30.72.9
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions000

† These attendance figures are for Church of the Ascension CofE Primary School, the school this one replaced in November 2022. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers13.8full-time equivalent, 15 people
Pupils per teacher22.0Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants7.1full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£53,569
Teachers who left in the year17%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher1.02024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£5,965England £7,128. Total £1.9m
Income per pupil£6,003England £7,587. Total £1.9m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,301England £3,405
Money in reserve6%Not much put by: £113k, £363 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£12kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£5,965spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m11912 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate39 per 1,000 people57% lower than the England average
Typical house price£236,000Dudley

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Dawley Brook Primary SchoolCouncil460 m231Good 202429Compare
Maidensbridge Primary SchoolCouncil660 m236Good 202283Compare
St Mary's CofE Primary SchoolAcademy720 m170Report card 20263Compare
Blanford Mere Primary SchoolCouncil0.7 miles311Good 202377Compare
Glynne Primary SchoolCouncil1.2 miles474Good 202380Compare
St John's CofE (C) Primary SchoolChurch of England1.4 miles77Good 202252Compare
Bromley Hills Primary SchoolCouncil1.4 miles282Not inspected27Compare
Fairhaven Primary SchoolAcademy1.5 miles251Requires improvement 202110Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Church of the Ascension CofE Primary School with the 48 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats31%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 60 is 12 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 24 · middle 72 · highest 99100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 48 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Church of the Ascension CofE Primary School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Lapal Primary SchoolAcademy7.4 miles360Outstanding 202382Compare
Chaddesley Corbett Endowed Primary SchoolVoluntary10.3 miles249No overall grade 202566Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 60 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 60% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 41 to 77. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%above
+0.10
2025 and 2024 results; 44 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%below
-0.19
Ofsted report card, 0.6 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
-0.01
Contextualised attainment (no DfE progress measure available); 44 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well above
+0.11
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.09
2024/25; 275 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
-0.01
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 44 pupils
What parents say5%above
+0.04
Ofsted's Parent View survey, allowing for how many parents replied; 108 responses

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Church of the Ascension CofE Primary School a good school?

It is about average. Church of the Ascension CofE Primary School scores 60 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 31% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 41 to 77, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been getting better over the last five years.

What is Church of the Ascension CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 20 January 2026 it rated teaching as needs attention, achievement as as expected, behaviour and attendance as as expected, leadership as as expected.

How good are Church of the Ascension CofE Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 73% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 14% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Church of the Ascension CofE Primary School have?

303 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 315 places, so it is 96% full.

Is Church of the Ascension CofE Primary School oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?

Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 2.0 miles away. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils and other priority groups come before distance, so the cut-off moves every year.

What is attendance like at Church of the Ascension CofE Primary School?

Pupils were in school 96.1% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 7% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

What do parents say about Church of the Ascension CofE Primary School?

95% of the 108 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey would recommend it to other parents, and 99% say their child is happy there. Across England, 87% of parents would recommend their child's school.

How big are the classes at Church of the Ascension CofE Primary School?

The average class had 27.5 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 9% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
New Street, Wall Heath, Kingswinford, DY6 9AH
Telephone
01384 818760
Website
www.chur-ascen.dudley.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Lindsay Mason
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Worcester
Multi-academy trust
The Diocese of Worcester Multi Academy Trust (20 schools)
Local authority
Dudley
Ward
Kingswinford North & Wall Heath
Constituency
Kingswinford and South Staffordshire
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 November 2022 (academy converter)
URN
148864 · LAESTAB 3323007 · UKPRN 10089766
Formerly
Church of the Ascension CofE Primary School

Where these figures come from