Castle Hill Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The conduct of pupils at Castle Hill is exemplary.

All day, every day, pupils prove the school motto that 'manners matter'. Pupils smile at one another, chat freely and know that they should include everyone. Pupils value this culture greatly, so much so that they refer to the school as 'a family'.

Determined members of staff aim to provide a high standard of education. Pupils receive strong teaching, particularly in reading and mathematics. Teachers also provide a range of exciting and engaging learning experiences in other subjects.

Pupils, right from early years, work hard to achieve their best in each lesson. Staff know the individual needs of pupils, inc...luding those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). These pupils are well cared for, and everyone is successful.

Pupils develop to become very well-rounded individuals. They learn key messages and traits that help them as they grow up, both as a community and as individuals. For example, they show a deep understanding of fundamental British values.

Pupils appreciate the vast range of clubs and additional opportunities that the school provides. This includes a very wide range of school trips that enhance the pupils' learning.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has the ambition to provide a 'world-class education in every class'.

Staff constantly look for ways to develop the curriculum and improve provision. All subjects have a clear and sequenced curriculum that sets out the key knowledge, skills and vocabulary that pupils will learn at each stage.

The school is successful in teaching pupils to read.

All staff follow the school's chosen scheme for teaching phonics. They ensure that pupils have the right book at the right time in order to practise their reading. Staff provide support for pupils who struggle to learn phonics.

This helps them to catch up quickly. The school wants all pupils to develop a love of reading. Pupils in Year 6 continue to love hearing their teachers read well-chosen texts.

They also read independently for sustained periods of time.

Staff replicate this high-quality education in mathematics. Teachers know exactly what pupils need to learn next.

Lessons are well organised so that all pupils can succeed, including pupils with SEND. Pupils also progress in writing. However, teachers do not give pupils enough opportunities to develop their writing in a variety of subjects.

This means that pupils do not achieve as well as they could in writing.

In many other subjects, teachers provide pupils with memorable learning experiences. Pupils are starting to know more and remember more in these subjects.

The school has developed processes for checking how well pupils learn the intended curriculum. However, these processes are not yet fully effective. This means that staff do not always know how well pupils are achieving across the curriculum as precisely as they could.

As a result, the curriculum is not always adapted to make learning as successful as possible.

Pupils' behaviour and attitudes are very strong. The whole school community is rightly proud of how well the pupils behave.

Pupils listen very well in class, walk around the school with care and socialise with genuine happiness. When pupils discuss their learning in a group, they listen carefully to each other. Children in early years hold doors open for others without an adult asking them.

The school provides purposeful outdoor play opportunities for all ages. This makes playtimes very successful and enjoyable. Kind and considerate staff show the special care that pupils with SEND need in order to integrate into school life fully.

Pupils' character development is exceptionally strong. The 'pupil senate' is representative of the diverse range of backgrounds of pupils. This system gives every pupil a voice in the school and a chance to raise their views.

Pupils eco-warriors, buddies and play buddies also help make this large school feel welcoming and personal. The pupils make a considerable effort to improve the lives of others in their school community and beyond.

The school's recent significant expansion has been successful.

Governors have held a strong strategic oversight of this. They put pupils' pastoral and academic interests at the heart of their decision-making. Parents and carers are very pleased with the whole experience their children receive, knowing they are safe and looked after.

As one parent commented, 'This school has taught both my children confidence and resilience, given them courage and helped them learn and grow in a fantastic way.'

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The quality of pupils' writing is not as good as it could be.

This is because pupils are not given enough opportunity to write to a high standard in a range of subjects. The school needs to ensure that pupils are given more opportunities to demonstrate and develop their writing skills across the curriculum. ? The school has developed its processes for checking how well pupils learn the intended curriculum.

However, in some subjects, the school is not yet using this information as effectively as it could. This means that some pupils are not learning as well as they could in some subjects. The school should ensure that staff have sufficient information to identify gaps in pupils' learning so that they can help pupils to achieve more.

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