Ashton Sixth Form College, Ashton-Under-Lyne
Ashton Sixth Form College is a post-16 school for pupils aged 16 to 19 in Ashton-Under-Lyne, part of Stamford Park Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2025)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Ashton Sixth Form College in detail
Ashton Sixth Form College in its own words
In its own words: "Ashton Sixth Form College is a 16-18 Sixth Form College, hosting around 2,000 students in the heart of Ashton-Under-Lyne established in the 1980s from Ashton-Under-Lyne Grammar School. Our Vision is to transform lives through learning."
Coming up: an open day on Friday 18 June 2027. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Tameside
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
The trust
Ashton Sixth Form College is one of 4 schools run by Stamford Park Trust, an academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 1139 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 50% went on to university or other higher education, 9% to apprenticeships and 24% into work. 14% went to one of the most selective third of universities.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Stalybridge Rail Station, about 1190 metres away (roughly a 15-minute walk).
14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Tameside General Hospital (outside), 80 metres away.
Sources: DfE destination measures; NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Source: Ofsted, further education and skills inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Ashton Sixth Form College provides an inclusive, supportive environment where students thrive. Teachers are praised for being helpful and supportive, delivering engaging lessons that connect real-world applications to academic learning. Students benefit from exceptional enrichment opportunities through 'Ashton Explore' and strong careers guidance that helps most progress successfully to university, apprenticeships or employment.
Key Strengths
- Outstanding student behaviour and attendance with exemplary conduct from all learners
- Excellent enrichment activities and careers support helping students progress to university, apprenticeships or employment
- Well-planned curricula that build knowledge logically, with effective teaching strategies connecting theory to real life
- Inclusive and diverse college culture where students and adult learners feel safe and valued
- Strong support for students with high needs and adult learners through personalised programmes and dedicated services
Areas for Improvement
- Too many students leave some courses early and too few achieve the highest grades
- Some teachers do not check what students already know at the start, leading to repetition or students needing too much help
- Progress monitoring and intervention actions are inconsistent across different courses and subjects
- A few biology students continue making the same errors after receiving feedback
- Adult learners on supporting teaching and learning courses do not receive enough feedback on their progress
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Ashton Explore (skills and team sports), subject-related enrichment activities, mooting society for law students, fundraising activities for local causes, work experience placements
Ashton Sixth Form College is a 16-19 academy with 2,279 young students and 99 adult learners offering A-levels, vocational programmes, T-levels and access to higher education courses. The college has been rated Good overall, with outstanding behaviour and personal development, though it has dropped from Outstanding at the previous inspection.
About
Ashton Sixth Form College is a sixth form college in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester. Founded in 1928 as Ashton-under-Lyne Grammar School, the college is selective with an offer rate of 28% (2021).
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
0.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Special Measures
Sixth Form Performance (A-Level)
A-Level Results
C+
Average grade
34.5
Points per entry
B-
Best 3 A-Levels
9%
Achieving AAB+
Average
Value added
780
A-Level students
90%
Retention rate
2024/25 academic year
A-Level Subjects Offered
+ 11 more subjects
2024/25 academic year - entries by number of students
After A-Levels - Leaver Destinations
After A-Levels (Year 13) - 1,139 students
2023/24 data
University & Higher Education Destinations
14%
Top-third university
63%
Degree course
67%
Any L4+ destination
2%
Apprenticeships
Based on 1,142 students completing 16-18 study
2022/23 cohort - "Top-third" = most selective third of UK universities by student intake
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from Ashton Sixth Form College
Allergy Awareness: Everyone Has a Part to Play
2 Oct 2026
Echoes of Excellence - Issue 4
1 Oct 2026
Ashton Sixth Form College unveils new Sport Building and Strength and Conditioning Suite
18 Sep 2026
Start Here. Go Anywhere: Plan Your Future at Ashton Sixth Form College
3 Sep 2026
Success for 6 Ashton students during OxNet’s Access Week 2026!
26 Aug 2026
1,860 top grades open doors for Ashton Sixth Form College students
13 Aug 2026
From Ashton Sixth Form College's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Ashton Sixth Form College
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 19
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- 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: none fatal, 3 serious and 16 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
6 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 Tameside is 12 (the median across 111 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
Area Demand Pressure - Ashton-Under-Lyne
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Ashton-Under-Lyne
Across Tameside council
Places available
3,293
Applications
2,719
Got 1st preference
86.7%
Got preferred school
96.3%
All secondary applications across Tameside council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(2)
Questions parents ask about Ashton Sixth Form College
What is Ashton Sixth Form College's Ofsted rating?
Ashton Sixth Form College was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2025.
What is the catchment area for Ashton Sixth Form College?
No fixed boundary. When Ashton Sixth Form College is oversubscribed, Tameside allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How do I apply to Ashton Sixth Form College?
Apply through Tameside's coordinated admissions process, naming Ashton Sixth Form College 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 Ashton Sixth Form College?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 19 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 16 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 6 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 Tameside is 12 (the median across 111 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Ashton Sixth Form College?
Ashton Sixth Form College is at Darnton Road, Ashton-Under-Lyne, OL6 9RL.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)