Ash Green School Review 2026: Calm routines, improving culture, and a clearer curriculum focus

Ash Green School sits on the Coventry and Warwickshire border and serves students aged 11 to 18, with Warwickshire as the local authority and a published capacity of 980. It is part of Creative Education Trust, which shapes governance and improvement priorities across the trust network.

Leadership has been stable through the current phase of change. Mr Fuzel Choudhury joined as Principal in January 2023, and the school’s published governance information records his appointment from early January 2023.

The most recent inspection picture is mixed but moving in the right direction on culture and climate. The latest Ofsted inspection, carried out on 25 and 26 March 2025, graded Quality of Education as Requires Improvement, and rated Behaviour and attitudes, Personal development, Leadership and management, and Sixth form provision as Good.

For families weighing post 16, there is a significant practical update. The school has stated that sixth form numbers have been insufficient and that, by the end of the 2025 to 2026 academic year, it expects to have no students remaining in Year 12 or Year 13. That means sixth form options may be changing materially for September 2026 and beyond, so families should treat post 16 planning as a separate decision from Years 7 to 11.

Ash Green presents itself as a school that wants students to feel known, supported, and held to clear expectations. Its published values framework, G.R.A.C.E (global citizenship, resilience, aspiration, creativity, excellence), is positioned as a daily reference point rather than a slogan.

The tone that comes through most consistently in official descriptions is calm structure. The school day begins with tutor time or assembly at 8:40am, with a five period timetable and a defined enrichment and intervention window running until 4:15pm on most days. This extended end of day block matters because it signals how the school is using time, not only for sport and clubs, but also for targeted academic support and behaviour routines.

There is also a deliberate emphasis on inclusion and respect. The published behaviour and anti bullying materials frame safety and belonging as non negotiables, and the wider programme around accept and respect is designed with student input. That combination, clear adult expectations plus student voice, tends to work best for families who want structure and predictability.

A distinctive feature here is the school’s ongoing relationship building with community partners as part of wider wellbeing work, including named local collaborations referenced in school communications. When that is executed well, it can widen the circle of trusted adults and provide practical routes into hobbies and mentoring for students who do not naturally opt into traditional school clubs.

Ash Green is a secondary school with post 16 provision in its age range, so the results discussion has two strands, GCSE performance at Key Stage 4 and A-level outcomes where available. The key context for parents is that the school is working through an improvement phase, and published outcomes remain below England averages on several measures.

GCSE outcomes (Key Stage 4)

On the headline measures provided, the school’s Attainment 8 score is 38.6 compared with an England average of 45.9. Progress 8 is -0.48, indicating students make below average progress from their starting points compared with similar students nationally. The proportion achieving grades 5 or above in the English Baccalaureate subjects is 5.7%, which is low and points to either limited EBacc entry, weaker performance in EBacc subjects, or both. (All figures are the most recent dataset values supplied for this profile.)

In the FindMySchool ranking for GCSE outcomes (based on official data), Ash Green is ranked 3,254th in England and 24th in the Coventry local area grouping. This places it below England average overall, aligning with the lower performance band (roughly the bottom 40% of schools in England on this ranking).

What this means in practical terms is not that strong students cannot do well, they can, but that outcomes are less consistently secure across the full cohort than families typically want. For many households, the decision comes down to whether the school’s current culture, routines, and improvement trajectory feel credible enough for their child’s needs.

A-level outcomes (where applicable)

For A-level results, the figures indicate that 1.72% of grades were A*, 7.76% were A, and 36.21% were A* to B. The England average for A* to B is 47.2% in the same comparison set, so results are below the England benchmark.

In the FindMySchool A-level ranking (based on official data), Ash Green is ranked 1,977th in England and 19th in the Coventry local area grouping, again landing below England average overall.

A crucial caveat for 2026 planning is the school’s stated intention that sixth form provision is winding down due to low student numbers, so families should treat historic sixth form outcomes as relevant background rather than a guarantee of future course availability.

Parents comparing options should use the FindMySchool Local Hub page to review GCSE and A-level outcomes alongside nearby alternatives, then use the Comparison Tool to check which schools most closely match their priorities.

The school describes a structured lesson approach intended to create consistency for students and reduce variation between classrooms. In practice, this kind of model usually works best when it is tightly implemented, because predictable routines make it easier for students to focus on learning rather than working out what each teacher expects.

The published curriculum material emphasises a broad Key Stage 3 experience designed to build a foundation for Year 10, alongside a curriculum offer that includes English, mathematics, science, humanities, languages, and creative subjects. This is reinforced by the school’s stated approach to planning learning in a logical sequence, with strategies to help students recall prior knowledge and connect new material to what they already know.

Reading is positioned as a priority, with a stated commitment to identifying students who are behind and putting targeted support in place. That matters for secondary success across subjects, since reading fluency is one of the strongest predictors of whether students can access demanding texts in history, science, geography, and beyond.

Homework systems also appear designed around routine. The school sets out typical frequencies by subject and provides a homework club early in the week, which can be an important support for students who struggle to work effectively at home.

For many families, the most useful destinations data is not a list of university names, but a grounded sense of pathways. Ash Green’s destination picture suggests a genuinely mixed set of next steps.

In the 2023 to 2024 leavers cohort (cohort size 60), 38% progressed to university, 32% went into employment, and 10% started apprenticeships. This profile is often a sign of a school working hard on careers guidance and practical routes, not only academic progression. It may suit students who are motivated by applied learning and clear career pathways rather than a purely university focused culture.

There is also a small Oxbridge pipeline. Over the measurement period provided, five students applied, one received an offer, and one secured an acceptance. This is not a dominant feature of the school’s identity, but it does signal that the most academically ambitious students can be supported through competitive applications when the individual fit is right.

The school’s published careers intent includes a focus on helping students understand routes into training, apprenticeships, and employment, and it references structured support for decisions about future pathways.

Given the school’s stated plan that sixth form numbers are not viable going forward, families who want a stable in house A-level route should verify what provision will exist for September 2026 entry and beyond, then consider local colleges and sixth form alternatives as part of the same planning process.

Year 7 entry is coordinated through the local authority, with the school participating in Warwickshire’s coordinated admissions scheme for the relevant year. For September 2026 entry, the published admission number (PAN) is 180.

The school’s own admissions guidance states that applications open on 01 September and close on 31 October each year. For the September 2026 cycle, the admission arrangements document confirms the on time closing date as 31 October 2025, with allocations notified by the applicant’s local authority in March 2026.

Oversubscription criteria include priority area considerations and sibling priority, alongside the usual statutory categories such as children with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming the school and looked after or previously looked after children. The practical implication is that address and category can matter as much as preference order.

Where distance criteria are relevant, families should use the FindMySchoolMap Search to check their precise home to school distance before relying on a place, then cross check the current year’s local authority guidance because small changes in applicant distribution can shift who is offered a place.

Wellbeing and safeguarding are framed as core responsibilities, with published guidance that encourages students to seek help and makes clear that staff are available when students feel unsafe or worried.

The school also publishes signposting through a student wellbeing page and identifies staff roles linked to mental health support, which is particularly relevant for families looking for a clear pastoral route if their child struggles with anxiety, attendance, or peer relationships.

Anti bullying expectations are explicit, and the school’s wider messaging around respect and discrimination is designed to make boundaries clear. For parents, the question is not whether a school can prevent every incident, no school can, but whether it has clear reporting routes, consistent follow up, and a culture where students trust adults to act.

Attendance is treated as a priority area in policy and communications. That is a sensible focus for an improving school, because better attendance is often the fastest route to improved outcomes when combined with stronger curriculum delivery.

Ash Green’s extracurricular offer is wide and includes both academic and sporting options, with examples including Debate Club, STEM Club, Art and Textiles Club, and a range of sports such as trampolining, football, netball, darts, and table tennis.

The named clubs matter because they point to the school’s priorities. STEM Club and Axiom Maths speak to academic stretch for selected students, while homework club provides a practical support route for students who need structure to complete work. Creative Writing Club and language clubs add breadth, particularly for students who build confidence through small group participation rather than high profile performance.

There are also enrichment activities referenced in official materials that extend beyond typical school clubs, including fishing links through a community collaboration and opportunities tied to trips and visits. For many students, especially those who find classrooms challenging, these practical or outdoors based activities can be a key engagement lever that improves attendance and relationships with staff.

Duke of Edinburgh is available, which is often most valuable not for the badge itself, but for the habits it builds, punctual commitment, teamwork, and self management. For students looking towards apprenticeships or employment, those habits can be just as important as grades.

The published school day runs from tutor time at 8:40am through to a 3:10pm finish for formal lessons, with enrichment, intervention, and fixtures typically running until 4:15pm on most weekdays. Friday ends earlier, with departure listed at 3:10pm.

Transport information in school materials references local bus routes (including the 55 and 56 services) and practical guidance for walking and cycling, including a covered bicycle compound. This is useful for families considering independent travel for older students.

The school also references a cashless catering system and notes that tariff prices can change, which is a reminder that while tuition is free as a state school, day to day costs such as lunch, uniform, and trips still require budgeting.

• Academic consistency remains the main issue. The improvement work is clear, but published GCSE and A-level metrics remain below England averages. Families should look closely at subject strength for their child’s priorities and ask how learning gaps are being addressed for older students.

• Post 16 planning needs extra care. The school has stated that low sixth form numbers mean it expects no students to remain in Year 12 or Year 13 by the end of the 2025 to 2026 academic year. If your child is likely to stay for sixth form, confirm the realistic options for September 2026 and beyond, then compare local college alternatives.

• Behaviour is largely orderly, but removal from lessons is a risk for a small minority. If your child struggles with behaviour expectations or needs high structure, ask how the school keeps students learning when they are taken out of lessons, and what reintegration looks like in practice.

• Admissions can hinge on criteria as much as preference. With a defined PAN and an oversubscription framework that includes priority areas and siblings, families should read the admissions arrangements carefully and align their application strategy with how places are actually allocated.

Ash Green School reads as a school in active improvement mode, with a calmer climate, clearer routines, and a more coherent curriculum than its earlier inspection history suggests. Outcomes remain below England averages, so families should be realistic about academic consistency and ask probing questions about intervention, assessment practice, and subject capacity.

It suits students who respond well to structure, benefit from explicit routines, and will engage with enrichment as a confidence builder, including practical clubs and clear careers pathways. The main decision point is whether the current trajectory and the changing post 16 picture align with your child’s stage and needs.