Castilion Primary School

Inspection of Castilion Primary School Copperfield Road, Thamesmead, London SE28 8QA

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 10 and 11 May 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is coming out of an unsettled period. Significant changes to governance, leadership, and staffing arrangements have meant that leaders’ expectations over time have not been consistently high. Pupils have experienced several changes in teaching staff. Some parents and carers expressed concerns about the impact of high staff turnover on their child’s education. Trust leaders have ensured that a stable leadership structure is now in place.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have reviewed systems for managing pupils’ behaviour. They have established clear approaches that teach pupils how to behave well. Pupils understand these expectations. However, some members of staff do not manage behaviour as routinely well. This means that pupils’ behaviour is not as good as it could be.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils attend school regularly. They are safe and mostly happy in school. Some pupils choose not to report incidents of bullying. They said that some adults do not deal with concerns in a timely manner. Leaders have not provided pupils with a broad range of experiences. A small number of clubs are offered.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The newly appointed senior leaders are ambitious for the school and to drive improvements in the education for all pupils.

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better?

Leaders have made significant improvements to the school’s curriculum over recent time. They have ensured that clear curriculum goals are in place for all subjects. However, in many subjects, there has not been sufficient time to ensure that pupils fully benefit from them. In some subjects, curricular thinking is progressive and identifies what pupils need to learn and when. For example, in mathematics, important content is built upon sequentially. In early years, changes have been made to ensure that all areas of learning are planned for. However, too often teaching, including in early years, does not follow the intended curriculum securely, which limits pupils’ deeper understanding.

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better?

Where teaching presents information clearly, this helps to build pupils’ knowledge and understanding. Sometimes, teachers address pupils’ misunderstandings successfully. However, this is not done consistently. Typically, teaching does not check what pupils can do and build on this effectively. Pupils’ misconceptions go unnoticed or unaddressed. Teachers’ expectations of pupils’ work are variable. This means some pupils do not achieve as well as they could.

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better?

Most curriculum subject leaders are new to post. Despite the recent coaching that leaders have provided, some subject leaders have not developed the expertise to support teachers in ensuring that the curriculum is delivered with consistency. 10 and 11 May 2023

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Leaders treat reading as a priority. They have trained staff in delivering the newly introduced phonics programme to help pupils learn to read fluently. Leaders check regularly how well pupils read. They use pupils’ assessment information to identify additional support for any pupils who struggle to learn to read. However, many pupils in Years 3 to 6 continue to need extra reading support.

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Leaders have worked with staff to support their understanding of how best to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They have begun to introduce systems to accurately identify pupils who may need support. However, staff expertise in providing appropriate adaptations for to support the learning of pupils with SEND is variable.

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Leaders are working to improve the culture of behaviour. They have taken appropriate actions that have led to a reduction in the number of suspensions and incidents that disrupt pupils’ learning in lessons. In early years, adults interact with children positively and relationships are generally supportive. However, staff do not ensure that children in the early years learn routines sufficiently well in order to routinely sustain their listening and concentration during carpet sessions. As a result, sometimes, children do not persevere with activities. This is also because many resources are uninspiring and do not motivate the children’s interest.

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The newly developed personal, social and health education curriculum is ambitious. Staff encourage pupils to learn about keeping healthy and respecting differences. Pupils show an understanding of different types of families. Leaders do not ensure that pupils have a wide variety of enrichment opportunities. Pupils’ participation in existing clubs, such as football and gymnastics, is low. Leaders do not have a clear oversight of how many pupils with SEND attend these clubs.

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The trust is fully aware that the school is not where it should be. Leaders have identified accurately what needs to improve. The trust has taken swift action in supporting leaders in addressing these areas of development. This includes through additional staff with relevant expertise. The trust’s actions have begun to ensure that rapid improvements occur. Most staff said that leaders were considerate of their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have ensured that systems to safeguard pupils have been prioritised. This includes the updating of procedures for reporting concerns. Staff receive training to help them identify pupils who may need help. Leaders continue to further strengthen the systems they use to record safeguarding and behaviour concerns, including any discriminatory behaviour. Leaders work closely with other professionals to support pupils and families.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have reviewed the curriculum content to ensure that pupils are taught how to stay safe. Pupils know about the dangers of using social media. 10 and 11 May 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders do not ensure that teaching delivers the curriculum consistently well, including in the early years. Subject leadership is at an early stage of development. Sometimes, teachers do not have a secure understanding of how to implement curricular thinking well. This leads to pupils’ misconceptions not being addressed effectively. Leaders should continue to take action to ensure that subject leaders and all staff have the necessary subject and pedagogical knowledge to teach the curriculum and check pupils’ understanding effectively.  Leaders’ systems for identifying and adapting the curriculum for pupils with SEND are not secure. Teachers do not make sufficient adaptations to ensure that pupils with SEND achieve well. Leaders need to ensure that teachers know how to adapt and support pupils appropriately, so that pupils with SEND can access the same curriculum successfully offered to their peers.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders do not ensure that all staff consistently manage pupils’ behaviour and attitudes. As a result, the behaviour of pupils does not reflect the high expectations that leaders have set, and learning is interrupted in lessons. Leaders must ensure that all staff use behaviour systems routinely so that behaviour is good across the school, including in early years.  Leaders do not ensure that pupils have a wide variety of enrichment opportunities. Pupils’ take up of existing clubs is low. Leaders should ensure that they provide greater opportunities for pupils to develop their talents and interests. They should also check carefully that all pupils, including those with SEND, benefit from these activities.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, 'disadvantaged pupils' refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 10 and 11 May 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10268146 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school converted to become an academy in April 2019. When its predecessor school, Castilion Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  The school is part of The Amadeus Primary Academies Trust.  The principal and assistant principal started in September 2022.  The special educational needs coordinator started in April 2023.  At the time of the inspection, a new assistant principal had been in post for less than a week.  The previous local governing board was disbanded in July 2022 and an interim board formed in September 2023, comprising mainly of trustees.  A large proportion of administrative, teaching, and support staff left the school in July and December 2022. There are several part-time and long-term agency staff currently employed in the school. Leaders are actively pursuing the recruitment of permanent staff.  The school does not make use of any alternative providers.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector(s) carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the chief executive officer, the director of education and trustees of The Amadeus Primary Academies Trust, the principal, senior leaders, the special educational needs coordinator, and a range of staff and pupils.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, geography and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, met with teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and considered pupils’ work.  Inspectors considered the curriculum in other subjects.  Inspectors considered information provided about safeguarding arrangements. They scrutinised safeguarding records and the single central record. Inspectors

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Information about this inspection

reviewed procedures and processes by talking to leaders and staff, and through discussions with pupils.  Inspectors reviewed documentation relating to provision for disadvantaged pupils, SEND, behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors considered the views of parents, pupils and staff, including through Ofsted’s online surveys.  Inspectors looked around the school site, observed lunchtime in the dining hall and spoke informally with pupils on the playground.

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Inspection team

Lascelles Haughton, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Sara Morgan Ofsted Inspector 10 and 11 May 2023

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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