Ashgate Specialist Support Primary School, Manchester
Ashgate Specialist Support Primary School is a special school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Manchester. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2019)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Ashgate Specialist Support Primary School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Ashgate Specialist Support Primary School are Southern Cross School (1.3 miles); Piper Hill High School (1.3 miles, Outstanding); Inscape House School (1.5 miles, Good); and The Watkin Centre (1.6 miles, Requires improvement).
Southern Cross SchoolPiper Hill High SchoolInscape House SchoolThe Watkin Centre
What parents say
17 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Ashgate Specialist Support Primary School (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school and 100% say their child is happy there.
The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (100%); the weakest, that the school has high expectations for their child (82%).
Who goes there
63.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 17.8% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Ashgate Specialist Support Primary School has an education, health and care plan (157 of 157 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Ashgate Specialist Support Primary School provides for pupils with autism, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Crossacres (Manchester Metrolink), about 540 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Croftlands Road (opposite), 60 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Ashgate Specialist Support Primary School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
Ashgate Specialist Support Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from April 2019, 7 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Ashgate excels at building pupils' confidence and independence through a carefully designed curriculum that meets each child's individual needs. Staff use their specialist expertise to teach communication and reading skills in ways that work best for each pupil, helping them make real progress. The school goes above and beyond by offering life skills learning, musical instruction, sports competitions, swimming lessons and trips to local shops - ensuring pupils develop as rounded individuals.
Key Strengths
- Exemplary pupil behaviour and conduct, with warm, trusting relationships between staff and pupils
- Ambitious, tailored curriculum with strong focus on communication and reading skills using effective phonics approaches
- Exceptional identification of pupils' emerging additional needs and seamless integration of EHC plan targets into curriculum
- Comprehensive personal development programme that teaches life skills, values, and provides enrichment opportunities
- Strong staff morale and professional development, with careful consideration of workload
Areas for Improvement
- Some staff still gaining full understanding of recent curriculum improvements and need further professional development to implement changes quickly and effectively
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with staff creating a safe and secure learning environment where pupils' interests are prioritised.
Extracurricular Activities
Musical instrument lessons, yoga, meditation, swimming lessons, local supermarket visits, sporting competitions with other special schools
Ashgate Specialist Support Primary School has maintained its outstanding standards since the previous inspection in 2019. The school is a specialist provision for pupils with SEND, where staff create a safe, positive environment where pupils thrive and fulfil their potential.
At a Glance
63.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Autism, SLD, PMLD
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
17 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Writing has declined from 5% to 0% (2024 to 2025).
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Social & online
Keep up with Ashgate Specialist Support Primary School
Getting There
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Ashgate Specialist Support Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Ashgate Specialist Support Primary School is in Manchester; for families living there:
Apply to Manchester for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 7
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 4 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
0 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 Manchester is 22 (the median across 222 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
101%
Over capacity
157 pupils
156 places
1 pupil over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Manchester
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Manchester
Across Manchester council
Places available
7,220
Applications
6,542
Got 1st preference
77.1%
Got preferred school
94.7%
All secondary applications across Manchester council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
157
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Ashgate Specialist Support Primary School provides for pupils with autism, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
157
Total Pupils
116
Boys
41
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
25
Teachers
6.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,501
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
9.9%
Overall absence
29.9%
Persistent absence
147
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Linked Schools
Schools linked by geographic proximity
Ashgate Specialist Support Primary School
Questions parents ask about Ashgate Specialist Support Primary School
What are SATs results like at Ashgate Specialist Support Primary School?
Of the pupils at Ashgate Specialist Support Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is Ashgate Specialist Support Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Ashgate Specialist Support Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in April 2019, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Ashgate Specialist Support Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Ashgate Specialist Support Primary School is oversubscribed, Manchester allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Ashgate Specialist Support Primary School?
Ashgate Specialist Support Primary School has around 157 pupils on roll. 64% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Ashgate Specialist Support Primary School have specialist SEN provision?
Ashgate Specialist Support Primary School provides for pupils with autism, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Ashgate Specialist Support Primary School?
9.9% of sessions were missed at Ashgate Specialist Support Primary School in 2024/25. 29.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Ashgate Specialist Support Primary School?
Apply through Manchester's coordinated admissions process, naming Ashgate Specialist Support Primary School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Ashgate Specialist Support Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 4 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 0 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 Manchester is 22 (the median across 222 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Ashgate Specialist Support Primary School?
Ashgate Specialist Support Primary School is at Crossacres Road, Manchester, Lancashire, M22 5DR.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)