Castlefields Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.

The headteacher has made a very positive impact on the quality of teaching and learning and on pupils' behaviour. As a result, the school is improving strongly. Pupils' attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is above average in Key Stage 1, and rose sharply in 2014.

Pupils are now making rapid progress in Key Stage 2. Children get off to a good start in the Nursery and Reception Years. Pupils continue to make good progress throughout the school.

School leaders make regular and detailed checks on both the quality of teaching, and on the progress that pupils are making. Pupils enjoy lessons, which they say are interesting ...and fun. Many additional activities, trips, visitors, clubs and special events help to develop pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding well.

The quality of teaching is good across the school and continues to improve. Relationships between adults and pupils are warm and respectful. Teachers plan lively and interesting activities so pupils enjoy learning and make good progress.

Pupils' behaviour is outstanding because of their highly positive attitudes towards learning. They are cared for very well. As a result, they feel completely safe in school.

Parents are very supportive of the school and its leaders. They told inspectors how much the school has improved under the leadership of the current headteacher. Governors know the school well.

They have a range of relevant skills, and they use their knowledge effectively to check how well the school is doing, and to challenge the school to improve further. It is not yet an outstanding school because : Sometimes, teachers do not provide work for their most able pupils which is difficult enough to make them think hard. The early years outdoor area is not always used fully to help to develop children's skills in literacy and numeracy.

Plans for improvement do not set out in enough detail the actions that need to be taken. The measures of success in these plans are not specific enough to check how well they are working. The leadership skills of most teachers are not well developed because leadership roles are largely undertaken by the headteacher and her deputy.

Information about this school

Castlefields Primary School is an average-sized primary school. The school provides full-time early years provision for Reception-aged children, and part-time provision for Nursery-aged children. The proportion of pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium, at 7.

8%, is much lower than average. The pupil premium is the additional funding provided by the government to support pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals or are looked after by the local authority. The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, at 13.

2%, is lower than average. The very large majority of pupils are of White British heritage, and almost all speak English as their first language. A breakfast club, managed by the governing body, provides childcare at the start of each school day.

The headteacher was appointed in January 2013 following a period of instability when the school was led by an acting headteacher. The Chair of the Governing Body was appointed in September 2014. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.