Ashcombe Primary School

About Ashcombe Primary School

Ashcombe Primary School is clearly a popular choice among local families. In the 2025/26 admissions round, the school received 134 applications for just 87 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.54. Of those, 85 families put it as their first preference, and 82 first-preference offers were made. That level of demand suggests parents who know the school well are keen to secure a spot. The school is a state primary for mixed genders aged 4 to 11, with a capacity of 630 and currently 624 pupils on roll, so it’s running very close to full. Headteacher Chris Penny leads a school where 21.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is a useful benchmark for the local intake. While the school doesn’t publish a parent-view survey percentage, the oversubscription figures speak for themselves: this is a school that local families actively want to get into.

Academically, Ashcombe sits in the bottom half of primary schools nationally, ranking 9,053 out of 13,686 on the key stage 2 expected standard in reading, writing and maths. In the 2023/24 results, 56% of pupils reached the expected standard in all three subjects, which is below the North Somerset local authority average of 61%. The school’s rank within the LA is 41 out of 57, placing it in the bottom 50% locally too. Looking at individual subjects, 68% of pupils met the expected standard in reading and writing, and 73% in maths. At the higher standard, 8% achieved the top level across all three, with reading the strongest at 27% reaching the higher threshold. Average scores in reading and maths were both 104. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2022, the school was rated Good overall, with leadership and management also judged Good. This was an ungraded inspection that confirmed the school remains Good, a notable improvement from its previous graded inspection in 2013, which had rated it Requires Improvement.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including an ICT suite, sports hall, art studios, a sensory room, forest school and a chapel. Sports provision covers swimming, netball, tennis, gymnastics and rounders, and there are clubs such as film club, gardening, art club and coding. For families with children who have additional needs, Ashcombe has a broad SEND offer, including support for autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language communication needs, social and emotional mental health, hearing impairment, multi-sensory impairment, dyslexia and moderate learning difficulties. The nearest outstanding-rated primary school is Haywood Village Academy, 1.5 km away, which may be a consideration for some families. Ashcombe is a good fit for families who value a well-subscribed local school with strong SEND provision, a wide range of clubs and facilities, and a clear trajectory of improvement since its previous inspection. Just bear in mind that with oversubscription, getting a place isn’t guaranteed.

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