Ashill Voluntary Controlled Primary School
The Oaks, Ashill, Thetford, IP25 7AP
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Voluntary controlled school
- Ages
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Headteacher
- Mr Dan Pickard
- Diocese
- Diocese of Norwich
- Constituency
- South West Norfolk
- Setting
- Larger rural: Further from a major town or city
- Capacity
- 109
- Pupils on roll
- 109
- URN
- 121026
- Local authority
- Norfolk
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01760440403
About this school
Ashill Voluntary Controlled Primary School is a Church of England voluntary controlled primary school in Thetford. It teaches children aged 4 to 11 and has 109 pupils on roll.
You can read Ofsted's latest judgement for the school below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Outstanding
- Leadership and management
- Outstanding
- Early years
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 18 | 15 | 17 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 56% | 60% | 53% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 6% | 7% | 12% |
| Expected standard in reading | 83% | 87% | 76% |
| Expected standard in maths | 78% | 73% | 88% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 72% | 73% | 82% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 106.0 | 107.0 | 108.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 104.0 | 106.0 | 107.0 |
| Reading progress | -1.80 | - | - |
| Writing progress | -1.40 | - | - |
| Maths progress | -1.70 | - | - |
Progress measures ended nationally after the 2022/23 school year, when the key stage 1 assessments they were based on were stopped. Blank progress figures in later years are not missing school data.
Trends over time
How Ashill Voluntary Controlled Primary School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Norfolk average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 56% | 49.1% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 60% | 49.1% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 53% | 52.7% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 5.1% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 5.1% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 5% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 108 |
| 2023/24 | 107 |
| 2024/25 | 109 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Ashill Voluntary Controlled Primary School compares
Ashill Voluntary Controlled Primary School ranked 153rd of 266 primary schools in Norfolk for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 26% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 61% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 53% | 5% | 11% | 109 | — |
| Parker's Church of England Primary Academy | 25% | 5.2% | 18.8% | 93 | 1.5 miles |
| Watton Junior School | 31% | 5.9% | 32.4% | 311 | 2.7 miles |
| Watton Westfield Infant and Nursery School | — | 7.1% | 24.3% | 261 | 2.8 miles |
| Necton VA Primary School | 58% | 5.8% | 32.1% | 198 | 3.3 miles |
| St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery | 52% | 5% | 18.3% | 234 | 4.1 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 11.01%
- English as an additional language
- 0%
- Overall absence
- 4.96%
- Persistent absence
- 10.75%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Parker's Church of England Primary Academy1.5 miles
Primary · Thetford
-
Watton Junior School2.7 miles
Primary · Thetford
-
Watton Westfield Infant and Nursery School2.8 miles
Primary · Thetford
-
Necton VA Primary School3.3 miles
Primary · Swaffham
-
St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery4.1 miles
Primary · Thetford
Other schools in Thetford
Ashill Voluntary Controlled Primary School ranks 10th of the 17 ranked primary schools in Thetford.
- Admirals Academy Primary
- Drake Primary School Primary
- Duchy of Lancaster Methwold CofE Primary School Primary
- Edmund de Moundeford VC Primary School, Feltwell Primary
- Elveden Church of England Primary Academy Primary
- Great Hockham Primary School and Nursery Primary
- Norwich Road Academy Primary
- Parker's Church of England Primary Academy Primary
- Queensway Infant Academy Primary
- Queensway Junior Academy Primary
- Raleigh Infant Academy Primary
- Redcastle Family School Primary
Common questions
- What year groups does Ashill Voluntary Controlled Primary School teach?
- Ashill Voluntary Controlled Primary School teaches children aged 4 to 11. It is a primary school in Thetford.
- Who is the headteacher of Ashill Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
- The headteacher of Ashill Voluntary Controlled Primary School is Mr Dan Pickard, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was Ashill Voluntary Controlled Primary School last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Ashill Voluntary Controlled Primary School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How big is Ashill Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
- Ashill Voluntary Controlled Primary School has 109 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 4 to 11.
- Is Ashill Voluntary Controlled Primary School full?
- Ashill Voluntary Controlled Primary School has capacity for 109 pupils and 109 on roll (100%), so it is at or above its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Ashill Voluntary Controlled Primary School a faith school?
- Yes. Ashill Voluntary Controlled Primary School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Norwich.
- Does Ashill Voluntary Controlled Primary School have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records Ashill Voluntary Controlled Primary School as having no nursery classes.
- How have Ashill Voluntary Controlled Primary School's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 56% in 2022/23 and 53% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does Ashill Voluntary Controlled Primary School rank locally?
- Ashill Voluntary Controlled Primary School ranked 153rd of 266 primary schools in Norfolk for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 26% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 61% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Ashill Voluntary Controlled Primary School's absence rate?
- Ashill Voluntary Controlled Primary School's overall absence rate is 5% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Ashill Voluntary Controlled Primary School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Ashill Voluntary Controlled Primary School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 30 June 2026.