Castle Hill Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school Determined actions by leaders mean that, after a dip in recent performance, almost all pupils are now making good progress across a range of subjects.

Leaders' accurate evaluation has provided a clear focus for continued improvement. A strong culture of safeguarding exists throughout the school. Procedures for keeping pupils safe are secure and clear.

Pastoral and academic support for pupils are high priorities for leaders. Pupils behave well around school and in classrooms. Teachers and leaders deal swiftly with the very few incidents of misbehaviour.

Pupils feel safe in school and know how to keep themselves safe. Leaders have ...designed a curriculum that engages pupils as learners. However, plans to ensure that pupils' knowledge builds progressively on what they already know are not yet fully embedded.

Leaders have used professional development and training opportunities effectively to improve the quality of teaching. The quality of teaching and learning is good. Teachers' effective use of questions is a strength of teaching.

Most parents and carers would recommend the school to others. They comment positively and are highly supportive of the leadership team in the current absence of the headteacher. Children in early years make good progress in a stimulating learning environment.

Adults support children well through effective questioning but, occasionally, miss opportunities to extend children's creative and critical thinking skills. Teachers provide highly effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This includes the speech and language provision in early years.

As a result, these pupils make very good progress. Leaders have ensured that the progress of disadvantaged pupils compares well with that of their peers and other pupils nationally. Teachers usually match work accurately to pupils' abilities but, occasionally, the most able pupils are not stretched or challenged as much as they could be.

Information about this school

Castlehill Primary is a larger-than-average primary school. The school is a standalone academy. The school manages a nursery provision for children from three months old which was not subject to this inspection.

Children attend Nursery both full time and part-time. They attend the Reception classes full time. Approximately one half of the pupils are of White British heritage.

However, over one third of pupils speak English as an additional language. One fifth of pupils are supported by the pupil premium, which is additional funding from the government to support to raise attainment. The school is in the top 20% of all schools for the proportion of pupils receiving SEND support.

Also at this postcode