Great Academy Ashton Review 2026: A Large Community School in Transition

Great Academy Ashton serves a significant portion of the Ashton-under-Lyne community, operating as a large, mixed secondary school for students aged 11 to 16. Housed in a striking, modern building on Broadoak Road, the school has a capacity of 1,350 students, making it one of the larger educational hubs in Tameside. Since joining the Great Academies Education Trust, the school has been on a journey of improvement, focusing on raising standards of behaviour and academic engagement. While current performance metrics sit below the England average, the school remains a popular choice locally due to its extensive facilities and its inclusive, community-focused ethos.

The first thing that strikes any observer of Great Academy Ashton is its contemporary architecture, featuring large glass panels and a distinctive circular design that creates an open, light-filled learning environment. This sense of space is mirrored in the school's daily operations, where students move between specialist zones for different subject areas. The atmosphere is one of a busy, urban secondary school that is working hard to establish a culture of high expectations and mutual respect among its diverse student body.

Mr David Waugh has served as the Principal since January 2021, bringing a focus on stability and clear boundaries to the academy. Under his leadership, there has been a visible shift toward more consistent behaviour management and a clearer focus on the quality of classroom instruction. The school operates as part of the Great Academies Education Trust (GAET), which provides a broader support network and shared resources that have been central to recent curriculum developments. Students are encouraged to take pride in their local identity, with the school maintaining strong links with community groups in the Broadoak and Ashton areas.

The latest academic data for Great Academy Ashton reflects a school that is still working to close the gap with England averages. In 2024, the school achieved an average Attainment 8 score of 36.3, which is lower than the England average. Approximately 10.2% of students achieved grades 5 or above in the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), compared to the England average of roughly 40%.

Great Academy Ashton ranks 3,294th in England for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking), and ranks 3rd among the secondary schools specifically within Ashton-under-Lyne. This performance places the school in the national lower band, sitting within the bottom 40% of schools in England based on raw attainment metrics. The Progress 8 score of -0.55 suggests that students, on average, make less progress from their primary school starting points than their peers nationally. These results indicate that while the school provides a stable environment, there is significant work remaining to elevate academic outcomes to the England average.

The curriculum at Great Academy Ashton is designed to be broad and balanced, ensuring that all students have access to a variety of academic and vocational pathways. In the lower years, the focus is on building strong foundations in core subjects like English, mathematics, and science. As students move into Key Stage 4, they can choose from a range of GCSEs and BTEC qualifications that reflect the local employment landscape, including options in health and social care, business, and creative media.

Teaching staff are currently working under a trust-wide initiative to improve the consistency of lesson delivery. Observations suggest that when teaching is most effective, it involves clear explanations and the use of assessment to identify and address student misconceptions quickly. The school has invested in digital technology to support learning, with many classrooms equipped with interactive tools that help bring complex subjects to life. However, maintaining high levels of student engagement across all year groups remains a primary focus for the leadership team.

As a 11 to 16 school, the transition at the end of Year 11 is a critical milestone. Great Academy Ashton does not have its own sixth form, so students move on to a variety of local post-16 providers. Many students progress to Ashton Sixth Form College, Clarendon Sixth Form College, or Tameside College to pursue A-levels or vocational diplomas.

The school employs a dedicated careers advisor who works with students from Year 7 onwards to build aspirations. While specific leaver destination percentages for the most recent cohort are not fully published in the DfE dataset, the school reports that a significant majority of students successfully transition into further education, employment, or apprenticeships. The academy has worked to strengthen its links with local employers to ensure students are aware of the technical and vocational opportunities available within Greater Manchester.

Great Academy Ashton is a popular choice and is currently oversubscribed. In the most recent admissions cycle, the school received 376 applications for 254 available places, resulting in a subscription proportion of 1.48. This means for every 100 places available, nearly 150 families applied.

Admissions are coordinated by Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council. Priority is given to looked-after children, siblings of current students, and those living closest to the school. Parents should use the FindMySchool Map Search to check their precise distance from the school gates compared to local trends. As with all state schools in the area, the last distance offered varies annually based on the distribution of applicants.

The school uses a traditional house system to create smaller communities within the larger academy structure. Each student is assigned to a house, which provides a framework for pastoral support, internal competitions, and charity work. This system is designed to ensure that in a school of over 1,300 students, every individual feels known and supported by a specific team of staff.

Behaviour and attitudes have been a major focus of recent school improvement plans. The latest official assessments confirm that while there have been challenges with persistent absence and low-level disruption in the past, new leadership has implemented more rigorous systems to address these issues. The school has a dedicated safeguarding team and provides access to mental health support through local partnerships, ensuring that students have a safe space to discuss concerns.

Extracurricular life at Great Academy Ashton is geared toward inclusivity and providing students with experiences they might not otherwise access. The "Great Experiences" programme is a trust-wide initiative that encourages students to participate in a set number of cultural and physical activities before they leave.

STEM: Innovation and Practical Learning

The school’s STEM provision is a particular point of interest, supported by modern laboratory and technology suites. Students have the opportunity to participate in coding clubs and robotics challenges, which are designed to foster problem-solving skills. The academy also runs a successful Formula 24 Greenpower racing team, where students design, build, and race an electric car, providing a practical application for their engineering and physics lessons.

In addition to STEM, the school offers a range of sports including football, netball, and trampolining, making use of its large sports hall and outdoor pitches. The performing arts are represented through annual school productions and a choir that performs at local community events.

The school day typically begins at 8:40am and concludes at 3:00pm. For travel, the school is well-served by local bus routes connecting it to the centre of Ashton-under-Lyne and surrounding residential areas. There is on-site cycle storage for students who wish to bike to school. As a secondary school, Great Academy Ashton does not offer traditional wraparound care like a primary school; however, many extracurricular clubs and the library remain open for a short period after the formal end of the day for supervised study.

• Inspection Status: The school was rated Requires Improvement by Ofsted following an inspection in March 2025. While Leadership and Management, Behaviour and Attitudes, and Personal Development were all judged as Good, the Quality of Education continues to require improvement.
• Academic Outcomes: Results at GCSE are currently below the England average, particularly in the EBacc subjects. This may be a consideration for families seeking a highly academic, high-pressured environment; the school is currently more focused on foundational progress and vocational breadth.
• Oversubscription: With 1.48 applications for every place, securing a spot can be difficult for those living outside the immediate Broadoak area. Proximity provides priority but does not guarantee a place.
• Large School Environment: With 1,350 students, the academy is large and busy. While the house system provides support, students who struggle in high-energy, high-population environments might find the scale of the school overwhelming.

Great Academy Ashton is a school with a clear sense of purpose and an impressive physical environment, currently navigating a significant period of improvement. It offers a broad, inclusive education that balances academic study with practical STEM opportunities and vocational pathways. Best suited to local families who want a modern, community-focused school and who are supportive of a leadership team that is actively raising standards of discipline and engagement. The main challenge for prospective parents is navigating the oversubscribed admissions process.