Castle View Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers do not expect enough of pupils. Pupils' achievement at the end of early years, key stage 1 and key stage 2 is poor.

Pupils do not learn to read well enough. This makes it difficult for them to learn successfully in other subjects.

Most pupils are happy, behave sensibly and are kind to one another.

However, some pupils do not pay attention in lessons and sometimes prevent other pupils from learning. Too many pupils do not attend regularly or come to school on time.

Pupils told us that they usually feel safe at the school.

There are reports of bullying, but pupils say that teachers always sort out any problems. Pupils say that racism ...is wrong and that everyone is welcome at the school. They learn about tolerance and respect for people who may be different to themselves.

Pupils understand that they need to make the right choices and that there are consequences for making the wrong ones.

Pupils experience activities outside of their lessons. They go on trips and take part in after-school clubs such as dancing and football.

Several pupils act responsibly as school councillors or librarians.

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, including when using social media. They also learn about road safety.

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

Pupils do not achieve well, including in reading, writing and mathematics. They do not learn enough in subjects such as history, geography and science. This makes it difficult for them to make a good start in their education and to be ready for secondary school.

Leaders have recently developed plans for the curriculum in most subjects to show what pupils should learn and in what order. However, some teachers are not using these documents. This means that pupils' learning is disjointed.

Pupils' studies jump from one area to the next, before they are ready to learn new information. This causes confusion for pupils and prevents them from learning and remembering as much as they should. For example, in geography, older pupils do not know the capital cities and countries that make up the United Kingdom.

In history, these pupils have little awareness of the events that have shaped British society. Pupils do not gain the knowledge that will support them in becoming, for example, future scientists, geographers or historians.

The curriculum in phonics is not good enough, but leaders are unaware of this.

Some staff do not spot pupils who are falling behind or take enough action to help them to catch up. Staff expertise in teaching pupils to read is too variable. Too many pupils in key stage 2 struggle with their reading skills.

This makes it extremely hard for them to learn what they need to know.

The curriculum for mathematics is better than it is in other subjects. Teachers follow a scheme of work that helps pupils to build on their previous learning.

This work is beginning to have a positive impact on pupils' mathematical knowledge and skills.

Teachers allow the poor behaviour of a small number of pupils to disrupt the learning of others. Some pupils are rude to teachers and they misbehave in lessons.

Their behaviour shows that they do not want to study. Other pupils are not happy with such distractions because they are keen to learn as much as they can.

Too many pupils are persistently absent from the school or arrive late at the start of the day.

Leaders and staff do not give enough attention to this issue, so the problems remain.

Children in the Reception class quickly settle into the school and learn the routines set by staff. Many children have poor language and communication skills and benefit from the support they receive from teachers and teaching assistants.

Staff's teaching of early reading, writing and mathematics helps children to gain some basic knowledge. Even so, children are not well prepared for Year 1, particularly in reading.

The school promotes pupils' personal development through planning a range of experiences.

Pupils visit local places of interest, including Lancaster Castle and a local priory. Older pupils can go to London and visit other places of historic and cultural interest. However, pupils learn too little about possible future careers and do not develop enough of the skills that they need for the workplace.

Leaders make sure that pupils and staff understand that bullying of any kind is wrong. Pupils told us that teachers will always intervene if they tell them that they are bullied. Pupils know that bullying is about more than low-level disagreements with others.

Older pupils know that racism is unacceptable. They were keen to point out that they want everyone to feel welcome in the school.

Leaders do not make sure that all pupils succeed in their learning at the school.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and disadvantaged pupils do not achieve well. They do not catch up in their learning.

The school receives intensive support from the local authority.

Without this support, there is little convincing evidence that leaders and governors can bring about sustainable improvement.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders and governors ensure that staff appointed to the school are suitable to work with pupils.

The school trains staff in child protection, so they can identify and report early signs that pupils are at risk of harm. Staff give online safety an important focus in the curriculum. Pupils are aware of the harm from inappropriate materials when they access the internet or use social media.

The school works well with other agencies to ensure that children and their families receive professional support for their needs.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

Pupils' achievement across a range of subjects, including reading, is weak. The planned curriculum does not help all pupils, including those with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, to learn and remember essential information.

Leaders should organise the curriculum to build on pupils' previous studies in a logical way. Leaders should make certain that all teachers have good knowledge of each subject of the national curriculum. Leaders should ensure that staff know what should be taught and when this should happen.

By doing this, they can improve pupils' learning and help them to be fully prepared for secondary school. . Staff do too little to develop pupils' skills to enable them to read with accuracy, proper speed and meaningful expression.

This limits pupils' ability to learn in subjects across the curriculum. Leaders should make certain that reading has a high priority and that pupils become competent readers from the earliest possible time. Leaders should make sure that teachers check carefully on how well pupils are learning to read.

Staff should give pupils the extra help that they need to become skilful, confident readers. . Leaders have not done enough to promote pupils' aspirations for career choices in future life.

Leaders should ensure that lessons throughout the curriculum give pupils the right skills on which to build their future learning and employment. . Some pupils do not behave as well as they should.

This disrupts the learning of others. Leaders must ensure that staff follow agreed policies so that unacceptable behaviour is dealt with swiftly and consistently. .

Pupils' attendance is below average and too many pupils are often late for school. Leaders should work more with parents and carers so that all pupils attend the school each day and arrive on time. .

Leaders rely heavily on outside support for improvement. Senior and middle leaders do not have the capacity to move the school forwards. Urgent action is required to strengthen the capacity of leaders and governors in order to secure sustainable improvement to the quality of education that pupils receive.