Ash Hill Primary School

Ash Hill Primary School

Address: Herbert Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP13 7HT Unique reference number (URN): 110261

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Monitoring inspection: 8 July 2026

Urgent improvement This school had a full inspection on 2 December 2025 . We graded some areas as 'urgent improvement' and 'needs attention' from the full inspection. We carried out a monitoring inspection on 8 July 2026.

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Monitoring inspection: 8 July 2026

Inspectors only considered the areas marked as updated. Inspectors focused on the following areas: Achievement, Curriculum and teaching, Inclusion, Leadership and governance. To find out more read our monitoring inspection guidance.

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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This school requires significant improvement

His Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils' attendance is typically in line with national averages. Leaders monitor attendance information effectively and put clear, targeted support in place when pupils' absence levels cause a concern. This work has had a notable impact on some individuals, whose attendance rates have risen significantly.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils generally demonstrate positive behaviour in lessons, enabling learning to take place without disruption. They typically display good manners and are respectful towards one another. Occasionally, some pupils do not pay enough attention to their teacher. On the whole, the school is a harmonious blend of ethnicities and cultures. Staff do not tolerate any kind of bullying or unkindness and pupils are very confident that their teachers will help them if they are worried.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

The behaviour management processes have improved notably after renewed staff training. The introduction of 'The Nest' and the ‘Ready to Learn Room’, along with external support when necessary, has strengthened staff's confidence and their ability to support pupils with more complex needs. This has led to a more consistent approach to dealing with incidents of behaviour that does not match expectations. As a result, suspension rates, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils, have reduced markedly.

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Early years Expected standard

Leaders have a secure understanding of what children need to learn in the early years to be ready for the next stage of their education. The curriculum is thoughtfully sequenced and built around high-quality texts, which successfully engage children and promote positive attitudes to learning. Leaders and staff know the children's needs well and, as a result, focus on enhancing children's vocabulary. Teachers identify gaps in learning early, and ensure that children receive support to help them overcome their difficulties with communication and language, phonics and handwriting. Leaders have recently introduced a new phonics programme, which staff typically deliver well. In the Nursery class, children are encouraged to be independent at this earliest stage. For example, if children should tumble during play, they typically dust themselves off and carry on without any fuss.

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Early years Expected standard

Adults prioritise children’s personal, social and emotional development, ensuring that children feel cared for and safe. Across the early years, staff typically ensure that their interactions with children who are less confident to speak are clear and purposeful. This is rapidly helping these children to integrate into school life. Children know the routines well; they are confident to talk about their learning and they demonstrate enthusiasm for the activities provided.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders have implemented a clear personal development curriculum that builds pupils' knowledge progressively. The curriculum is also adapted when the need arises. As a result, pupils understand how to keep themselves safe online and when crossing roads. They typically talk confidently about how to have a healthy lifestyle. Pupils have purposeful opportunities to take on responsibilities, such as acting as a school councillor or a reading ambassador. This helps to promote pupils' independence and leadership qualities. It also enhances pupils' understanding of right and wrong and 'doing the right thing'.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils learn about fundamental British values and the differences between themselves and others through a range of texts, assemblies and school council activities. Pupils recognise and show respect for different families and cultures in their diverse community. They understand democratic processes, such as voting to give a person a responsibility. Pupils also learn about different faiths, and some can articulate thoughtful insights about different religious symbols and practices. Cultural engagement is promoted through assemblies, themed events and music activities.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders have made some recent positive changes to improve pupils' wellbeing. Staff provide effective and sensitive pastoral support when pupils have difficulties, whether these are short- or long-term challenges in pupils' lives. Pupils also look out for one another. If someone falls on the playground, friends are very quick, whether they know the pupil or not, to go over and help.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The school provides a broad range of clubs and other opportunities. Almost all disadvantaged pupils and a significant proportion of pupils with special educational needs

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Needs attention

and/or disabilities access clubs, including sports, arts and wider academic opportunities.

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Curriculum and teaching Updated Needs attention

Since the previous full inspection, leaders have prioritised developing teachers' subject knowledge and skills in reading, writing and mathematics. This is beginning to have a positive impact on teachers' expertise and confidence. However, the teaching of the curriculum remains variable across classes and subjects. The introduction of a new phonics programme reflects leaders' ambition and commitment to improvement but it is not delivered as consistently as leaders expect. Leaders' sharp focus on strengthening the teaching of writing has led to improvements in how teachers model writing for pupils. Some teaching suitably broadens pupils' vocabulary but this remains variable. Leaders have taken some appropriate action to improve the teaching of handwriting, spelling and grammar but this is at an early stage of development and inconsistencies remain.

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Curriculum and teaching Updated Needs attention

Leaders have designed a well-sequenced curriculum that sets out what knowledge and skills pupils should learn. Staff sometimes prioritise the importance of pupils completing a task over ensuring that pupils learn the key curriculum knowledge leaders want them to gain. This limits the opportunities for pupils to embed core learning and apply key skills in reading, writing and mathematics. Teachers' expectations of what pupils can achieve are inconsistent. For instance, some teachers do not demonstrate ambitious language choices, or explain complex mathematical methods clearly. As a result, some pupils do not make the progress that they should through the curriculum.

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Inclusion Updated Needs attention

Leaders are in the early stages of securing a shared understanding and a consistent approach to how pupils' needs, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are known and met. Leaders' work to sharpen the procedures to identify and support vulnerable pupils is developing. Leaders work closely with families and external agencies to secure additional help to break down barriers to pupils' leaning and wellbeing. They also have a clear strategy for the use of the pupil premium funding to support disadvantaged pupils.

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Inclusion Updated Needs attention

The resources and adaptations to teaching during some lessons are beginning to be matched more closely to pupils’ particular needs. Leaders support staff to use different approaches such as adapted tasks, sentence starters and visual resources. This work is at an early stage of development and a lack of consistency limits pupils' progress in overcoming gaps in their knowledge.

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Inclusion Updated Needs attention

Leaders ensure that pupils with SEND, disadvantaged pupils and other vulnerable pupils are fully included in school life so that they feel an integral part of the school community. Leaders also make sure that these pupils access the same curriculum as their peers.

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Leadership and governance Updated Needs attention

Previous turbulence in leadership and staffing had slowed the pace of leaders' work and meant that, over time, pupils have not achieved well. Since the previous full inspection, instability in leadership and staffing has settled. This has helped the school to begin to secure some improvements in teaching. Leaders have greater clarity about what needs to improve and how to achieve this. They recognise that the pace of change needs to increase. Leaders have introduced a range of initiatives to tackle the school's shortcomings. This includes developing their approach to supporting pupils with complex needs. As a result, these pupils are beginning to be successfully supported to learn in classrooms. Consequently, suspension rates, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils, have continued to decline. However, many of these are in the early stages of implementation.

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Leadership and governance Updated Needs attention

Staff training is prioritised by leaders and valued by staff. There is now a coherent and effective strategy for staff development that combines whole-school training, subject-specific sessions and individual support. This is leading to an improvement in the delivery of the curriculum in some classes and subjects.

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Leadership and governance Updated Needs attention

Governance has undergone significant change. Almost all members of the governing body have joined relatively recently. This new group has the skills to take decisions in the best interests of pupils and hold leaders to account. Governors have a realistic view of the school's provision. They acknowledge that pupils' achievement, particularly for the most disadvantaged and vulnerable at the school, needs significant improvement. They now provide suitable challenge to leaders to improve the school's provision. Governors fulfil their statutory duties. For example, they are mindful of staff's workload and wellbeing and make considered approaches to support staff in carrying out their roles.

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Achievement Updated Urgent improvement

Since the previous full inspection, leaders have acted to improve pupils' achievement, but gaps in pupils' foundational knowledge are not identified or remedied swiftly enough. Pupils do not progress through the curriculum well enough. They are not well prepared for their next steps in education. For the past 3 years, pupils' attainment, including for disadvantaged pupils, has been significantly below the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. This is also true for the Year 1 phonics screening check and the multiplication tables check that pupils take in Year 4.

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Achievement Updated Urgent improvement

Leaders' actions mean that pupils' success in phonics and reading is moving closer to the national average, but this is not the case in writing. In subjects beyond English and mathematics, pupils do not consistently gain the knowledge and skills as set out in the curriculum. They are not able to reliably recall the key knowledge they have learned.

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Monitoring inspection : 8 July 2026

Since the previous full inspection, leaders have made some positive improvements to the design and delivery of the curriculum. They have been sharply focused on improving the teaching of reading, writing and mathematics. Their actions are appropriate, but they are at an early stage. Leadership and staffing are now more stable and this is helping the school to secure improvements. However, leaders' actions are too recent to have a demonstrable impact on pupils’ long-term learning. For too long, many pupils, including the most disadvantaged and vulnerable, have not achieved as well as they should at Ash Hill Primary School.

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Full inspection : 2 December 2025

Leaders have made some positive improvements to the design and delivery of the curriculum. However, these are too recent to have any demonstrable impact on pupils’ long- term learning. For too long, many pupils, including the most disadvantaged and vulnerable, have not achieved as well as they should at Ash Hill Primary School. Staffing and leadership instability has meant that leaders' actions have not been rapid enough, and pupils have suffered academically as a result.

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Full inspection : 2 December 2025

Pupils at this school are safe and well cared for. The school is welcoming to all families, and pupils confidently say that everyone is treated with respect. Pupils are proud that their school is a kind place where all families are welcome. This ethos is creating a genuine sense of belonging among the community. Pupils know that adults will help them if they have a problem and they trust staff to deal with issues, such as bullying, quickly.

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Full inspection : 2 December 2025

Pupils of all ages enjoy breaktimes because they can play with their friends, share games and have healthy snacks. Older pupils like being monitors and having responsibilities because it makes them feel valued and helpful. They also find learning about different religions and fundamental British values interesting, and they can explain how they vote for school council members. Pupils are suitably prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Full inspection : 2 December 2025

Pupils' behaviour is typically calm and orderly. Many pupils are interested in the well- considered broad and balanced curriculum. However, they sometimes disengage from their learning. At times, teachers do not extend pupils' knowledge, skills and vocabulary well enough. The work that some pupils receive is not well matched to their starting points. When this happens, pupils struggle to progress well through the curriculum in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Next steps

Leaders and governors must ensure that they improve the achievement of all pupils, and especially those who are disadvantaged, so that they learn the knowledge, skills and vocabulary that they need to be ready for the next stage of education. Leaders should build on their recent work to identify pupils' needs and ensure there are consistent approaches to helping all pupils, including those with special educational

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Lead inspector:

Laurie Anderson, His Majesty's Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This was the data available at the time of the full inspection, taken from different sources . More recent data may have been published since the full inspection took place.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The inspector(s) used this data during the full inspection on 2 December 2025

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217

Close to average needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils, to overcome barriers to their learning and wellbeing. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum, including the newly introduced phonics programme, is taught consistently well across different classes and subjects, so that pupils build their knowledge securely, achieve well and are better prepared for their next steps in education. Leaders and governors should ensure that they implement their plans for improvement to teaching swiftly so that the pace of change increases and pupils' achievement improves.

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About this inspection

The inspector conducted this monitoring inspection under section 8(2) of the Education Act 2005. It was carried out to evaluate the progress leaders have made in improving the evaluation areas graded as ‘Urgent improvement’ and ‘Needs attention’ at the previous full inspection.

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About this inspection

This was the first monitoring inspection since the school was judged to require significant improvement following the full inspection that took place in December 2025.

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About this inspection

The purpose of this monitoring inspection was to identify and report on the school’s progress in addressing the priorities for improvement set out in the report card from the full inspection. Inspectors may change a grade for one or more evaluation area determined at the full inspection based on evidence gathered during the monitoring inspection.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational needs support at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English indices of deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and mathematics measure.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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average

2024/25 (revised) 71% 75% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 70% 73% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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average

2024/25 (revised) 57% 63% Close to average

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average

2023/24 (final) 53% 62% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, including the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics and the disadvantaged gap.

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 5.9% 5.5% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 6.2% 5.9% Close to average

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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national average

2024/25 (1 term) 17.1% 14.3% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 17.2% 14.6% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 18.9% 16.2% Close to average

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care. services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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