The Castle School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Key findings

This is a good school. It is not outstanding because, despite considerable strengths and ambitious leadership, variations in the quality of teaching and learning mean that progress is not consistently rapid for all groups of students. Students' attainment by the end of Year 11 has remained high overall since the previous inspection, including in English, mathematics and especially in the specialist subject of art and design.

The most able students make consistently strong progress. However, rates of progress for students in some lower- and middle-ability groups have fluctuated and shown occasional weaknesses over time. Teachers' confident command of their subjects, their inclusive questioning of all st...udents, and the quietly assertive management of their classes, are common strengths which assure that students generally learn well.

However, tasks are not always adapted well enough to ensure that all groups of students make rapid progress. While there are many examples of exemplary marking and feedback to students on how to improve their work, in a small minority of cases marking is cursory and does not support effective progress for all. Students' personal qualities develop very strongly.

Students generally behave well in lessons and courteously around the sites. Most feel safe at school. The wide distribution of responsibilities across senior and middle leaders has helped create a highly cohesive and committed staff.

Well-developed systems for monitoring and developing teaching, and for managing staff performance, have successfully maintained the school's good quality of teaching since the previous inspection. Not all departments have, however, focused strongly enough on monitoring their success in closing gaps in achievement between groups of students or sixth form subjects. The sixth form is good.

Students thoroughly enjoy their time there and benefit particularly from the wide range of enrichment and extra-curricular opportunities. Although rates of progress vary across subjects, students achieve well overall. Good teaching and the high quality of individual support help to ensure that virtually all sixth form students proceed into employment, further or higher education.

Information about the school

The school is much bigger than the average-sized secondary school and has a large sixth form. It operates across two sites half a mile apart, with the smaller site primarily serving as a sixth form centre. The school serves the town of Thornbury, but draws its students from a very wide geographical area, including from residential areas in the north of Bristol.

Students are mostly White British. The proportion known to be eligible for free school meals is low. While the proportion of students designated with a disability or who have special educational needs is low overall, the proportion supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is broadly average and has increased since the last inspection.

The school meets the current floor standard, which are the minimum standards expected by the government. It is a specialist school in the visual arts and for special educational needs, and has been designated as a High Performing Specialist School which works with other local schools. Among many awards, it has, since the last inspection, attained ICT-mark accreditation for its provision in information and communication technology.