Castleton Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Castleton is a welcoming and friendly school that has the pupils at the heart of everything it does. There is a strong culture of community and belonging, where pupils are well cared for and nurtured.

Pupils thrive at this school. There is an unwavering commitment to provide them with a wide range of exciting and memorable educational experiences. Pupils are confident, articulate and proud to attend this school.

Relationships between staff and pupils are incredibly positive. Behaviour and attitudes to learning are of a high standard. Pupils are polite, respectful and engage well with adults and their peers.

Pupils attend well and say they love coming to schoo...l. Expectations for learning are incredibly high, and pupils achieve well.

Right from the early years, rules and routines are embedded.

Pupils embrace extra responsibilities and are proud to be school councillors and play leaders. Pupils feel they have a voice and help to make decisions to enable the school to be the best it can be.

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

The school has ensured curriculums build from the early years in a well-ordered way.

This enables pupils' knowledge and understanding to deepen over time. The sequences of learning help pupils to make meaningful connections across different subject areas. Teachers use assessment effectively to inform future teaching and also to identify gaps in knowledge.

They make sure that pupils have opportunities to reinforce their learning.

The teaching of mathematics is well matched to the ability of the pupils, and the mixed-aged curriculum is expertly taught. In early years, children are exposed to the concept of number through the use of books, songs and practical activities.

Mathematical areas support the children to apply taught skills in independent learning. Teaching tasks are used to check understanding and inform next steps. In subjects such as history, learning is brought to life through visits to museums and Stone Age workshops.

Pupils remember key historical knowledge and make comparisons, for example between toys in the past and in the present day. The local area is fully used to enhance all curriculum areas, such as geography fieldwork and scientific investigation.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) thrive at this school, and their needs are incredibly well met.

The school quickly identifies need, and support is put in place. Ambitious curriculums are expertly adapted to enable pupils with SEND to learn and achieve alongside their peers.

Reading has a high profile in school.

Classrooms are rich in language and vocabulary, and they are full of exciting and engaging reading material that is matched to the interests of the pupils. The school is committed to teaching every child to read. Pupils benefit from expertly taught daily phonics lessons, and staff use consistent approaches and language.

Pupils read regularly from books that are accurately matched to the phonics code they know. This knowledge is then independently applied in writing.

Right from the early years, the opportunities for personal and character development are plentiful.

Pupils have an embedded knowledge of protected characteristics and fundamental British values, which they link to life inside and outside of school. Pupils are active citizens. For example, they organise collections for local food banks, take part in litter picks and entertain the local community with concerts and plays.

Pupils strive to achieve the Castleton Oaths, which include performing in front of an audience, developing resilience and visiting a city. The Year 6 pupils are excited for their trip to Edinburgh next term. Pupils learn about different faiths, cultures and religions through visits to places of worship and the curriculum.

They are tolerant and respectful.

Pupils attend a range of extra-curricular clubs, such as journalism, Japanese, signing and sport. The school listens carefully to pupil voice to shape its offer.

Pupils talk knowledgeably about careers and future employment and understand the importance of education.

The workload and well-being of staff are carefully considered by leaders. Staff are happy and proud to work at this school.

Governors and trustees are highly effective. They hold the school to account and are ambitious for the future of the school and the trust.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.