Ashurst Primary School, St Helens

Ofsted's report card from its 6 May 2026 inspection grades Ashurst Primary School on 7 areas: 2 strong standard and 5 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "Leaders are unwavering in their focus on prioritising pupils' attendance."

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "The school's values permeate all aspects of its work."

Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils achieve well overall."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "The curriculum makes clear what pupils should learn in each subject and builds knowledge from the early years."

Early years - Expected standard. "Children settle quickly into the calm, consistent routines of the early years provision."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Staff take great care in identifying the barriers that may prevent some pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), from succeeding academically, socially and emotionally."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders are ambitious for all pupils at the school."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should continue to focus on improving older pupils' handwriting, grammar and spelling knowledge so that pupils are able to apply these key skills more consistently and achieve all that they can in writing"; "Leaders should ensure that, in subjects beyond English and mathematics, they support staff to further develop their use of checks on pupils' most important prior knowledge, so that pupils' new learning builds more securely on what they already know".

The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care.

In 2025, 73% of Year 6 pupils at Ashurst Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 67% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 74% in St. Helens and 77% and 75% across England.

Results fell from 77% in reading and 84% in maths in 2024.

With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.

For September 2026 entry, 22 families put Ashurst Primary School as their first choice and 74 named it as one of their preferences, for 29 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to Ashurst Primary School are St. Mary's Blackbrook Catholic Primary School (0.2 miles, Good, 74% reading, 62% maths); Merton Bank Primary School (0.7 miles, Requires improvement, 41% reading, 45% maths); St Peter and St Paul Catholic Primary School (0.7 miles, Outstanding, 68% reading, 77% maths); and Legh Vale Primary School (1 mile, Good, 66% reading, 56% maths).

Ashurst Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.

5.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

Ashurst Primary School has a resourced provision for social, emotional and mental health needs: 8 places, 7 pupils on roll.

The nearest railway station is St Helens Central Rail Station, about 1.2 miles away in a straight line.

13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is New Glade Hill (adjacent), 40 metres away.

In 2024/25, Ashurst Primary School issued 6 suspensions, 2.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.

The secondary schools closest to Ashurst Primary School are St Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Academy (0.5 miles), Outwood Academy Haydock (1.3 miles), St Cuthbert's Catholic Academy (1.6 miles) and Cowley International College (1.7 miles).