The Ashley School
The Ashley School is a special academy in Lowestoft for boys and girls aged 7 to 16. It has 203 pupils, 11 more than it has places for. About 57 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. Ofsted's last grade was outstanding, back in 2023.
Ashley Downs, Lowestoft, NR32 4EU01502 565439ashleyschool.co.ukMr Thomas Ward headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
A shorter visit on 11 May 2023 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Outstanding overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
25 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
All GCSE measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 | Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 25 | 21 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 23 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 43.4 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | -1.54 | -1.52 | -1.73 | -1.56 | -1.46 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 40% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 62% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.04 | 0.02 | 3.76 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 28% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 0.6 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 0.5 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 0.7 | 0.0 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.0 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 0.9 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 0.8 | – | – |
Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025
23 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.
All Year 6 measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils tested | 23 | 24 | 19 | 10 | 9 | 8 | – | – |
| Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 60% | 63% |
| Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 7% | 8% |
| Expected level: readingReading expected standard | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | – | – |
| Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | – | – |
| Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed) | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | – | – |
| Reading progressReading progress score | – | – | -16.5 | -14.5 | -10.1 | -9.1 | – | – |
| Maths progressMaths progress score | – | – | -14.4 | -15.1 | -11.7 | -8.7 | – | – |
| Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged | 0% | 0% | 0% | – | – | – | – | – |
| Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged | 0% | 0% | 0% | – | – | – | – | – |
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.
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. Every gap at this school 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 GCSE, 2025
At the end of primary school, 2025
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.
Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Suffolk council's admissions booklet, send it to us.
Who goes here
Who the school teaches, from the latest school census.
Specialist SEND provision. A special school for pupils with moderate learning difficulties.
To get a place in the unit or resourced provision, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school. Other schools in Suffolk with moderate learning difficulties provision.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Moderate learning difficulty (76), Autistic spectrum disorder (67), language and communications needs (25), Specific learning difficulty (12), Hearing impairment (7), Physical disability (6).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 203 | 189 | 167 | 158 | 150 | 141 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 57% | 53% | 53% | 50% | 48% | 48% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 1% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 1% | 1% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 88.8% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 11.2% | 9.2% | 9.2% | 8.5% | 6.6% | 6.0% | 5.2% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 9.2% | 7.3% | 8.5% | 7.1% | 5.6% | 4.6% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 2.1% | 2.0% | 0.7% | 1.3% | 1.0% | 1.4% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 33.1% | 29.9% | 29.5% | 25.7% | 16.4% | 16.7% | 12.8% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 9.0 | 13.8 | 8.2 | 9.3 | 9.9 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 20 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 95% | 100% | 90% | 94% |
| Education | 95% | 100% | 90% | 94% |
| Apprenticeship | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Work | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Not in education, work or training | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other special schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
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
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 schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Include Suffolk | Independent | 40 m | 52 | Not inspected | – | Compare |
| Poplars Community Primary School | Academy | 250 m | 260 | Requires improvement 2023 | 14 | Compare |
| Northfield St Nicholas Primary Academy | Academy | 360 m | 311 | Good 2022 | 40 | Compare |
| Ormiston Denes Academy | Academy | 400 m | 711 | No overall grade 2025 | 28 | Compare |
| St Margaret's Primary Academy | Academy | 500 m | 364 | Report card 2026 | 19 | Compare |
| Horizon School | Pupil referral unit | 670 m | 0 | Requires improvement 2023 | – | Compare |
| East Coast College | Further education | 740 m | – | Not inspected | – | Compare |
| Roman Hill Primary School | Academy | 0.7 miles | 375 | No overall grade 2024 | 2 | Compare |
Questions parents ask
Is The Ashley School a good school?
The Ashley School doesn't have a score yet. Ofsted rated it outstanding at its last inspection in May 2023.
What is The Ashley School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated The Ashley School outstanding at its last full inspection on 11 May 2023.
How good are The Ashley School's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 0% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 0.6, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished well over a grade behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How good are The Ashley School's SATs results?
In summer 2025, 0% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 0% went further and reached the higher level.
How many pupils does The Ashley School have?
203 pupils aged 7 to 16 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 192 places, so it is 106% full.
What is attendance like at The Ashley School?
Pupils were in school 88.8% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 33% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
Does The Ashley School have specialist SEND provision?
Yes. It is a special school for moderate learning difficulties. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Ashley Downs, Lowestoft, NR32 4EU
- Telephone
- 01502 565439
- Website
- www.ashleyschool.co.uk
- Headteacher
- Mr Thomas Ward
- Type of school
- Special academy (Academy special converter, academies)
- Phase
- Special school, ages 7-16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Single-academy trust
- The Ashley School Academy Trust (1 schools)
- Local authority
- Suffolk
- Ward
- Harbour & Normanston
- Constituency
- Lowestoft
- Setting
- Urban: Further from a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 September 2011 (academy converter)
- URN
- 137459 · LAESTAB 9357003 · UKPRN 10035025
- Formerly
- The Ashley School
Recent changes
- New KS4 results for 2024/25
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Year 6 results: DfE key stage 2 tables, 2024/25.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.