Ashwood Spencer Academy

About Ashwood Spencer Academy

Ashwood Spencer Academy is a school where parents clearly want to be, and those already there tend to speak highly of it. For the 2025/26 intake, the school was oversubscribed, receiving 89 applications for 73 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.22. Of those 89 applications, 70 were first-preference choices, and all 70 first-preference families were offered a place. This level of demand suggests a solid local reputation, and it’s backed up by the school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023, which rated it Good across every category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. That’s a notable improvement from its previous inspection in 2017, when the school was rated Requires Improvement. The headteacher, Paula Baines-Chambers, leads a large primary of 651 pupils, which is slightly over its official capacity of 631.

Academically, Ashwood Spencer Academy sits around the middle of the pack in Derby. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 54% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. That’s just one point below the Derby local authority average of 55%, so the school is performing in line with its peers. However, the proportion reaching the higher standard in all three subjects was just 4%, which is low. Looking at individual subjects, 69% met the expected standard in reading, 68% in writing, and 67% in maths. Average scaled scores were 103 for reading and 102 for maths. Nationally, the school ranks in the 70th percentile, meaning it’s in the bottom half of all primaries on the combined expected standard metric. Within Derby, it ranks 29th out of 58 schools, placing it in the bottom 50% of the local authority.

The school offers a broad range of facilities and provisions that many families will find appealing. There’s a library, art studios, playing fields, an outdoor playground, a sensory room, a forest school, and even a chapel. Sports on offer include swimming, gymnastics, netball, rounders, cricket and tennis, and there are clubs for art, coding and book club. For children with additional needs, the school has a wide SEND offer, covering moderate and severe learning difficulties, speech and language needs, autistic spectrum disorder, hearing and visual impairments, and social, emotional and mental health support. The school also has nursery provision for children from age three. Given its oversubscription and Good rating, this is a school that suits families looking for a stable, improving primary in Derby with strong pastoral and SEND support, though those aiming for top academic outcomes may want to look at higher-performing local options like Griffe Field Primary School.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About Ashwood Spencer Academy

Helpful Guides for Parents