Ashcroft School, Coventry
Ashcroft School is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Coventry. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2026, ended in a report card: 6 expected standard. Before that it was rated Requires improvement at its last graded inspection, in May 2024.
- Ofsted report card
- 0 of 6 areas strong or better
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Ashcroft School in detail
What Ofsted's report card says
Ofsted's report card from its 2 June 2026 inspection grades Ashcroft School on 6 areas: 6 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.
Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils progress well through the curriculum from their starting points."
Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders have high expectations for pupils' behaviour and attendance."
Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have ensured that a broad, personalised and ambitious curriculum is in place to meet pupils' needs."
Inclusion - Expected standard. "All pupils who attend this school have an education, health and care plan."
Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "The proprietor ensures that this is an effective and inclusive school."
Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have constructed a well-thought-out programme to support pupils' personal development."
Safeguarding standards were met.
Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is all subjects identifies the key knowledge and skills they want pupils to learn so that the curriculum is delivered consistently well in all subjects"; "Leaders should ensure that teachers check pupils' understanding consistently well so that gaps in learning can be addressed effectively"; "Leaders should continue to develop staff expertise in making adaptations to teaching so that pupils' learning needs are swiftly and effectively addressed".
Read the full report card on Ofsted's site (school website)
Source: Ofsted report card (Open Government Licence), quoted
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Ashcroft School are The Warwickshire Academy (1.2 miles); Exhall Grange Specialist School (1.3 miles, Good); Castle Wood Special School (2.4 miles, Requires improvement); and Oak Wood Primary School (3.1 miles, Good).
The Warwickshire AcademyExhall Grange Specialist SchoolCastle Wood Special SchoolOak Wood Primary School
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Ashcroft School has an education, health and care plan (22 of 22 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Bedworth Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Coventry Road (near), 30 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 197 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Warwickshire (88), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since January 2026 for independent schools)
Safeguarding standards met
- AchievementExpected standard
- Attendance and behaviourExpected standard
- Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
- InclusionExpected standard
- Leadership and governanceExpected standard
- Personal development and wellbeingExpected standard
Safeguarding standards: met
Independent school standards
Met all the independent school standards.
- Part 1: quality of educationMet
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyMet
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationMet
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementMet
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted's report card, in its own words
What it's like to be a pupil at Ashcroft School
Pupils enjoy attending this caring school. Pupils have previously been out of education for significant periods of time. Leaders want this school to be the pupils 'forever school', a place where they attend regularly and receive a high-quality education. The school has developed a well-thought-out transition programme to support this aim. This includes home visits by staff and a gradual increase in pupils' time at school. This helps pupils settle in. As a result, pupils feel accepted and understood. They benefit from a personalised curriculum that meets their needs and aspirations. Staff have an excellent understanding of the barriers to learning that pupils face. Typically, they address these well. Pupils progress well from their starting points. The school is generally calm and orderly. Pupils feel safe in school and know that they have staff they can talk to if they are struggling or have any worries. There are positive relationships between staff and pupils. Pupils enjoy being part of all aspects of school life. They enjoy outdoor activities and trips to the theatre and museums. They socialise well together at breaktimes. For many pupils, their attendance was previously very low. All pupils' attendance has improved since they started attending this school, and most attend regularly.
What Ofsted says the school should do next
- Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is all subjects identifies the key knowledge and skills they want pupils to learn so that the curriculum is delivered consistently well in all subjects.
- Leaders should ensure that teachers check pupils' understanding consistently well so that gaps in learning can be addressed effectively.
- Leaders should continue to develop staff expertise in making adaptations to teaching so that pupils' learning needs are swiftly and effectively addressed
From Ofsted's report card (inspection 2 June 2026). Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Ashcroft School is exceptional at rebuilding pupils' confidence and getting them back into education after difficult experiences. The caring staff create strong relationships with each pupil, provide a calm and orderly environment, and deliver a personalised curriculum that actually engages young people. Parents consistently praise the positive difference the school has made to their child's happiness and wellbeing both in and out of school.
Key Strengths
- Excellent at improving attendance - almost all pupils now attend regularly despite previously having very low attendance
- Strong behaviour support with clear expectations and positive relationships between staff and pupils
- Personalised curriculum that meets individual needs and removes barriers to learning
- Effective safeguarding culture where all staff take responsibility and pupils feel safe
- Comprehensive careers guidance helping pupils make informed decisions about their future
Areas for Improvement
- Not all subjects have clearly set out the key knowledge and skills pupils should learn
- Teachers do not always check understanding consistently, meaning some learning gaps are not addressed quickly enough
- Teaching adaptations to meet learning needs are not always made swiftly enough - staff are still developing expertise in this area
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - the school has created an open and positive culture of safeguarding where all legal requirements are met and pupils feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Theatre trips to London, museum visits, local places of interest visits, visits to places of worship, reward trips to amusement parks, golf, football, climbing, charity fundraising, care home visits, school council
Ashcroft School is an independent school that successfully re-engages pupils who have experienced significant time out of education, providing a personalised, nurturing environment where all pupils have made measurable progress in attendance, behaviour and learning.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Ashcroft School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 19
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 19 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 5 serious and 13 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Warwickshire is 7 (the median across 286 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
92%
Near capacity
22 pupils
24 places
2 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Coventry
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Coventry
Across Warwickshire council
Places available
7,662
Applications
6,716
Got 1st preference
82.3%
Got preferred school
97.2%
All secondary applications across Warwickshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(3)
Independent School standard inspection
Met all the independent school standards.
Independent school standard inspection - first
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
22
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Ashcroft School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
22
Total Pupils
16
Boys
6
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Ashcroft School
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Ashcroft School
What is Ashcroft School's Ofsted rating?
Ashcroft School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2026, produced a report card, which grades each area but gives no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2024, it was rated Requires Improvement.
Does Ashcroft School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in June 2026, Ashcroft School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Ashcroft School?
Ashcroft School has around 22 pupils on roll.
Does Ashcroft School have specialist SEN provision?
Ashcroft School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Ashcroft School?
Ashcroft School is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near Ashcroft School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 19 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 5 serious and 13 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Warwickshire is 7 (the median across 286 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Ashcroft School?
Ashcroft School is at 54 Hayes Lane, Exhall, Coventry, Warwickshire, CV7 9BP.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)