Castleview Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Happy and confident pupils really enjoy their time at school.

They have high aspirations, take pride in their achievements and delight in the different subjects that they learn. Older pupils enthuse about the many trips, clubs and activities on offer. They really like how there is something for everyone, including: choir, chess, computing and different sporting clubs.

Staff ensure that pupils' cultural heritage is celebrated here. Pupils learn to play together cooperatively and look after each other. New pupils quickly make friends.

As one pupil commented, 'The best thing about Castleview is that it's really friendly, that's why we come here.' There is very l...ittle inappropriate behaviour or unkindness as pupils respect the school's clear rules and routines. They know how to respond should anyone say or do anything that makes them feel uncomfortable, and trust staff to resolve any concerns they may have.

Standards in reading, writing and mathematics are high. Pupils become keen readers, take pride in their work and relish discussing their learning. Until recently, the wider curriculum, while broad and engaging, has not always expected enough of these willing pupils in some areas.

Staff are working hard to ensure that the level of challenge is consistently high across all subjects.

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

Teachers ensure that pupils develop a depth of knowledge and skills in English and mathematics. Ambitious and detailed planning in these subjects makes it clear what pupils have to learn and in what order.

Here, the curriculum is very clear that pupils' learning builds on what they already know and can do. Staff design stimulating and engaging lessons that support all pupils to achieve success.

The teaching of reading is given high priority here and begins immediately when children join the early years classes.

Regular training ensures that teachers and teaching assistants have expertise when teaching phonics from Reception and throughout key stage 1. Staff interact skilfully with pupils to develop, assess and enhance their reading skills. Tailored support is given to any pupils who require additional help so that all make strong progress.

Over time, pupils grow into fluent readers, discovering genuine satisfaction and pleasure from reading books. Their strong reading skills help them to develop an impressive vocabulary and to become successful writers.

The new headteacher and his senor leadership team recognise the many existing strengths of the school and have swiftly identified target areas that require improvements.

Work is underway to restructure systems and provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and to make all subjects across the wider curriculum as strong as the very best in the school. There has been a lot of necessary change in a short period of time and understandably some staff are concerned. Leaders and governors are aware that better communication and more staff involvement is needed to improve morale.

Leaders have designed improvements to many subjects, such as art, computing, and personal, social and health education (PSHE). Here, passionate subject leaders have developed coherent plans that make clear how pupils' knowledge and skills develop from early years up through key stages 1 and 2. This work is less developed in other subject areas, such as history and science.

Consequently, there is some variability in how well pupils are supported and challenged in these subjects across the school. Senior leaders know this and are supporting staff with the training and resources needed to make the required changes.

Teachers know their pupils well and design learning activities that meet all pupils' needs, including those with SEND, well.

This is particularly so in reading and mathematics. New leaders are aware that the ongoing assessments and plans for many pupils with SEND have become out of date during the pandemic and period of staffing change at the school. Some parents of pupils with SEND are understandably anxious about this.

New senior leaders have developed a strategy to rectify the situation. Work is underway to ensure that up-to-date and accurate assessment of these pupils' needs is provided to teaching staff.

Children in early years settle swiftly into routines and play and learn cooperatively.

Pupils' behaviour across the school is very good and their attendance is high. They socialise happily at playtimes, move around the school sensibly and are polite. Pupils respect the school's rules, rewards and routines and so any disruption is rare.

They show respect for each other and different members of their community. PSHE and personal development are at the heart of the curriculum at Castleview. This, together with the rich array of trips and visits on offer, ensures that pupils are very well prepared for their next stages of education.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Pupils feel safe here and their parents confirm this.

Appropriate safeguarding training enables staff to recognise signs that may suggest a pupil is at risk of harm and know what to do if they are concerned.

Leaders work with external agencies when necessary to ensure pupils get the help they need.

New leaders have introduced training and a better system to ensure that staff share and record any concerns they may have about pupils. However, this is not yet fully embedded.

The school's previous safeguarding records were poorly organised and still contain inaccuracies. Safeguarding leaders have plans to address this.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

The school's curriculum is not yet sufficiently well planned and sequenced in some subjects and in the early years.

In addition, some subjects within the curriculum require further adaptation to better meet the needs of pupils with SEND. However, it is clear that leaders have already taken action to plan next year's curriculum and to train staff where required. For this reason, the transitional arrangements have been applied.

• New leaders have shown capacity to implement swift change and improvement in some subject areas. Curriculum developments in other foundation subjects are still ongoing. Staff require further information to ensure that they can more accurately meet the needs of all pupils across all subjects.

Leaders need to complete and embed coherently sequenced plans from early years to Year 6 across all areas of the curriculum. This will support more consistency of implementation between classes and assist all pupils to learn with increasing success. ? Some record-keeping relating to safeguarding is inaccurate, and the individual assessments and plans for many pupils with SEND are out of date.

Consequently, staff do not always have access to all the information they need. This runs the risk that their actions may not precisely meet the education and well-being needs of vulnerable pupils. Completion of existing plans, and more robust systems of monitoring by leaders and governors, are urgently needed to rectify this.

• The many recent changes to leadership and systems in the school have unsettled and concerned many staff and some parents, particularly those of pupils with SEND. Approximately half of the staff are enthused by the changes, but the other half would like more information, involvement and feedback from leaders. Senior leaders and governors need to prioritise improving communication both to boost staff morale and better involve all parents.