Ashperton Primary Academy Review 2026: High-performing rural primary with sustainability at its core

A small rural primary where outdoor learning and global citizenship are treated as everyday business, not occasional extras. A seven-class structure keeps year groups intimate, while the breadth of activities feels larger than you might expect for a village setting. The curriculum has a distinctive sustainability thread, linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and pupils take on visible leadership roles such as eco warriors and digital leaders.

Academic outcomes are a clear strength. In 2024, 91% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, compared to the England average of 62%. Scaled scores are equally high (reading 110, mathematics 110, grammar, punctuation and spelling 111), and 41% reached the higher standard in reading, writing and mathematics, well above the England average of 8%. On FindMySchool’s primary outcomes ranking (based on official data), the school is ranked 370th in England and 1st in the Ledbury area.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Families should still budget for the practical add-ons that come with primary life, such as uniform, trips, and optional clubs.

This is a school that asks pupils to take responsibility early, and then gives them meaningful ways to do it. Leadership roles are not tokenistic: pupils contribute through the school council, house structures (including house captains), eco warriors, and digital leaders who support online safety and help younger pupils through technology club activities.

The ethos is strongly outward-looking. Sustainability is built into how pupils talk about their impact, with the Sustainable Development Goals explicitly woven into school priorities. This is reflected not only in classroom content but in whole-school projects, including a developing wildflower meadow supported by local environmental partners, and learning that links everyday choices to wider consequences.

The physical setting supports that ethos. The school describes access to an adjacent seven-acre field, used both for sport and for enriching the curriculum, including outdoor learning through Forest School. The buildings combine a Victorian core (the older part is described as 19th century) with later remodelling and extension work, so families should expect a blend of older character and modern classroom space.

Leadership is currently presented to parents as interim. The school identifies Mrs Caroline Bullock as Acting Headteacher, and she also holds the Designated Safeguarding Lead role. For governance records, the Department for Education’s Get Information About Schools service lists Mrs Caroline Bullock as Headteacher or Principal.

Outcomes at the end of Key Stage 2 are exceptionally strong.

In 2024, 91% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, compared with 62% across England. At the higher standard, 41% reached greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics, compared with the England average of 8%. Scaled scores are high across the board: reading 110, mathematics 110, and grammar, punctuation and spelling 111.

These results align with a strong overall position in England. On FindMySchool’s primary outcomes ranking (based on official data), the school ranks 370th in England and 1st locally in the Ledbury area, a level that sits well above the England average (top 10%).

Parents comparing options across Herefordshire can use the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool to view these outcomes side-by-side with nearby primaries, particularly helpful if you are weighing rural travel time against academic performance.

The curriculum is carefully structured and sequenced in most subjects, with clear identification of the knowledge pupils are expected to secure at each stage. A distinctive feature is the way sustainability themes are integrated across learning, not confined to a single topic week. Pupils are encouraged to think about consequences and responsibility, including charity-linked learning such as collecting food for local support, and broader cultural awareness through learning about religions and cultures.

Reading is positioned as a central habit. Pupils borrow books from class libraries, and reading choices are aligned with curriculum topics as well as pupil interests. Where this becomes practically important for parents is early reading: the school has its own phonics approach, and the best-fit question to ask at an open morning is how decodable reading books are matched to the sounds pupils are currently learning, because precise matching is a known quality marker for early fluency.

Technology use is unusually explicit for a small primary. Each classroom is described as having an interactive screen, visualiser, Apple TV, a PC, and a bank of iPads. Pupils also work with Micro Bits and Crumble sets, and digital leaders support online safety learning and help run technology activities for younger pupils.

As a state primary, the next step is local secondary transfer at Year 7, typically shaped by Herefordshire admissions patterns and travel practicality rather than a single destination “pipeline”. For many families in and around Ashperton and Ledbury, the most realistic plan is to shortlist several secondaries within acceptable travel time and then match that to your child’s learning style and interests.

A sensible approach is to look for a secondary that continues the school’s strengths: structured literacy and strong mathematics teaching, plus opportunities in music, outdoor education, and pupil leadership. If your child thrives on responsibility, prioritise secondaries with visible student leadership structures and strong pastoral systems.

Where families are considering selective or faith-based secondaries further afield, it is worth planning early around travel and daily routine. Even strong primary attainment does not automatically translate into a smooth commute for an 11-year-old. Your shortlist should be realistic about the daily logistics as well as the academic offer.

Reception admissions are coordinated through Herefordshire Council rather than directly by the school. The school’s own admissions information points parents to the local authority route for applications.

Demand is high relative to places. For the latest measured admissions cycle there were 61 applications for 27 offers, which equates to around 2.26 applications per place. That level of oversubscription usually means families should treat this as a school where timing and process discipline matter.

For September 2026 entry, Herefordshire’s primary admissions portal window is stated as 15 September 2025 to 15 January 2026, and the council confirms 16 April 2026 as the national offer date for reception places.

If you are trying to judge the realism of admission based on where you live, use the FindMySchool Map Search to measure your distance accurately. This is particularly valuable when a school is oversubscribed, even if published “last distance offered” data is not available for this setting.

Pupil responsibility runs through the pastoral model. Roles such as house captains, eco warriors, and digital leaders are part of how pupils are encouraged to contribute, and that tends to support a culture where pupils see themselves as active participants rather than passive recipients.

Safeguarding information on the school site is clear about points of contact and leadership responsibility, with the Acting Headteacher also named as Designated Safeguarding Lead. A practical implication for families is continuity: in a small school, safeguarding, pastoral leadership, and senior oversight can sit with the same people, which can be reassuring for communication, but also means availability matters. Ask how concerns are handled day-to-day when the senior team is pulled into multiple roles.

The wider wellbeing offer benefits from the outdoor space. Access to the adjacent field and Forest School learning supports active regulation, resilience, and social development, especially for pupils who find sustained desk-based learning demanding.

Extracurricular provision is unusually specific and structured for a small primary. The school publishes a programme of clubs, with many sessions running to 4.30pm, including hockey, indoor tennis, table tennis, netball, TAG rugby, pottery, gardening, Lego Club, and Unihock. There is also a KS2 lunchtime Get It Done Homework Club designed to help pupils complete homework before the weekend.

Several of these activities align neatly with the school’s wider themes. Gardening and the wildflower meadow project connect to environmental learning and responsibility, while digital leaders add a pupil-led strand to online safety and technology enrichment.

Music and performance have a visible place, supported by trips, school plays, and musical activities. Pupils are described as participating in rehearsals connected to a regional chamber orchestra and performing in plays and musicals.

Sport is supported by space. The school describes a seven-acre field and a routine that includes walking a mile every morning, a notable daily commitment to physical activity that can suit children who benefit from predictable movement and outdoor time.

Term dates and school day timings are published. Infants (Key Stage 1) start at 8.40am and finish at 3.10pm; juniors (Key Stage 2) start at 8.40am and finish at 3.15pm.

Wraparound care is available. Breakfast Club runs from 7.30am to 8.30am (last breakfast served at 8.15am) and After School Care Club runs until 5.30pm, subject to advance bookings.

For transport, most families will be car-dependent given the rural location, but it is still worth checking walking and cycling practicality if you live nearby, particularly for older juniors. If your child will attend clubs that finish at 4.30pm, plan for the extended day and collection logistics.

• Oversubscription pressure. With 61 applications for 27 offers in the latest dataset cycle, competition for places is a real constraint, and families should prepare a strong, realistic set of preferences.

• Leadership is interim in day-to-day presentation. The school presents its leadership to parents as Acting Headteacher, which can be entirely stable, but it is worth asking about continuity planning and how decision-making is structured across the year.

• A strong sustainability ethos may not suit every child. For many pupils it is motivating and grounding. For some, it can feel like a persistent theme. Ask how sustainability learning is balanced with the wider curriculum and how it is adapted across ages.

Academic outcomes place this among the stronger state primaries in England, with a distinctive identity built around outdoor learning and sustainability. The daily experience is shaped by pupil responsibility, active routines, and a curriculum that links learning to real-world consequences.

Best suited to families who value a high-performing primary with a strong environmental and global citizenship thread, and who can manage rural logistics and the reality of competitive admission.