Castleford Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a school that has high ambitions for and expectations of pupils. Pupils are taught to be 'ready, respectful and safe' and aspire to reach their maximum potential. Pupils realise these expectations and achieve highly across most subjects.

The school is welcoming to all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Pupils have mature attitudes to learning. They are studious in lessons.

Most pupils feel happy and have positive relationships with staff. Pupils move around the school site calmly and follow routines well. Bullying is rare and is dealt with quickly should it occur.

Pupils are unanimous in their v...iew that they feel safe and have trusted adults to speak to at the school.

Pupils enjoy a huge range of diverse extra-curricular and enrichment experiences. For example, pupils participate in a soul band, eco-club, trampolining, book worms and British Sign Language clubs.

The school is to be commended for ensuring that all pupils are encouraged to participate in new activities.

Pupil leaders are very enthusiastic about their responsibilities. They are proud of changes they have made to the school and the support they provide to the wider community.

Prefects describe how rewarding it has been to organise a charity colour run and debate which charities to support.

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

The school provides an ambitious curriculum that prepares pupils for the next steps in their education, training or employment. The curriculum is well thought out and is based on educational research.

In all subjects, the school has developed methods that ensure pupils know more and remember more over time. Pupils are provided with a broad range of subjects to study. However, the number of pupils entering the English Baccalaureate has reduced and remains below the national average.

Teachers have excellent subject knowledge. In most lessons, pupils' understanding is thoroughly checked and tasks are carefully designed to secure important knowledge. However, on occasion, the work set is not clearly understood by pupils.

In some cases, misconceptions are not addressed. This results in some pupils lacking the important knowledge they need to access further learning.

Pupils make excellent progress through the curriculum.

In most subjects, they achieve highly. Pupils who are disadvantaged benefit from strong teaching and support strategies. Pupils with SEND are swiftly identified.

They receive the precise support they need to access learning. For example, pupils who are deaf receive pre- and post-teaching interventions to ensure they have secure knowledge and skills.

The school has a relentless focus on reading.

Pupils are challenged in lessons with high-quality texts that develop their comprehension and inference skills. The school ensures that pupils receive continuous exposure to different texts and develop a love of reading. The school quickly diagnoses pupils who are weaker at reading.

They receive swift and tailored support to improve.

The school has high expectations of behaviour. Most pupils agree that staff are consistent in their application of the behavioural policy.

A smaller proportion of pupils say that this is not as consistent in some lessons. When this happens, behaviour can sometimes be more variable. Most pupils attend school regularly.

The school has introduced an extensive range of strategies to improve the attendance of a small number of pupils. However, it is too soon to see the impact of this work.

Pupils benefit from an exemplary programme of personal development.

They develop an expansive appreciation of the world around them. Pupils describe in detail their knowledge of the ways people can be different and of fundamental British values. Pupils are encouraged at every opportunity to develop and widen their talents.

For example, pupils talk excitedly about being involved in the school drama production of 'Matilda' and the musical instruments they are learning to play. The school's careers programme is woven into every aspect of the curriculum. Pupils talk confidently about their career plans.

Leaders are determined to improve the life chances of pupils. They support many other schools by sharing the benefit of their expertise, resources and experience. Staff receive an array of training opportunities to develop their expertise.

Leaders are considerate of staff workload. Trustees and governors provide timely and supportive challenge to leaders about the school's work.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• At times, the school does not ensure that teachers set work that is understood by pupils or that checks of pupils' understanding are effective. This limits how well pupils secure important knowledge in their long-term memory. The school should ensure that staff help pupils to know and remember their learning and check for any gaps in their understanding.