Castle Hill Primary School

Inspection of Castle Hill Primary School Winklebury Way, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG23 8BN

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Inspection dates: 23 and 24 January 2024

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 23 and 24 January 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

The conduct of pupils at Castle Hill is exemplary. All day, every day, pupils prove the school motto that ‘manners matter’. Pupils smile at one another, chat freely and know that they should include everyone. Pupils value this culture greatly, so much so that they refer to the school as ‘a family’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Determined members of staff aim to provide a high standard of education. Pupils receive strong teaching, particularly in reading and mathematics. Teachers also provide a range of exciting and engaging learning experiences in other subjects. Pupils, right from early years, work hard to achieve their best in each lesson. Staff know the individual needs of pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). These pupils are well cared for, and everyone is successful.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop to become very well-rounded individuals. They learn key messages and traits that help them as they grow up, both as a community and as individuals. For example, they show a deep understanding of fundamental British values. Pupils appreciate the vast range of clubs and additional opportunities that the school provides. This includes a very wide range of school trips that enhance the pupils’ learning.

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better?

The school has the ambition to provide a ‘world-class education in every class’. Staff constantly look for ways to develop the curriculum and improve provision. All subjects have a clear and sequenced curriculum that sets out the key knowledge, skills and vocabulary that pupils will learn at each stage.

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better?

The school is successful in teaching pupils to read. All staff follow the school’s chosen scheme for teaching phonics. They ensure that pupils have the right book at the right time in order to practise their reading. Staff provide support for pupils who struggle to learn phonics. This helps them to catch up quickly. The school wants all pupils to develop a love of reading. Pupils in Year 6 continue to love hearing their teachers read well-chosen texts. They also read independently for sustained periods of time.

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better?

Staff replicate this high-quality education in mathematics. Teachers know exactly what pupils need to learn next. Lessons are well organised so that all pupils can succeed, including pupils with SEND. Pupils also progress in writing. However, teachers do not give pupils enough opportunities to develop their writing in a variety of subjects. This means that pupils do not achieve as well as they could in writing.

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better?

In many other subjects, teachers provide pupils with memorable learning experiences. Pupils are starting to know more and remember more in these subjects. The school has developed processes for checking how well pupils learn the intended curriculum. However, these processes are not yet fully effective. This 23 and 24 January 2024

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means that staff do not always know how well pupils are achieving across the curriculum as precisely as they could. As a result, the curriculum is not always adapted to make learning as successful as possible.

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Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes are very strong. The whole school community is rightly proud of how well the pupils behave. Pupils listen very well in class, walk around the school with care and socialise with genuine happiness. When pupils discuss their learning in a group, they listen carefully to each other. Children in early years hold doors open for others without an adult asking them. The school provides purposeful outdoor play opportunities for all ages. This makes playtimes very successful and enjoyable. Kind and considerate staff show the special care that pupils with SEND need in order to integrate into school life fully.

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Pupils’ character development is exceptionally strong. The ‘pupil senate’ is representative of the diverse range of backgrounds of pupils. This system gives every pupil a voice in the school and a chance to raise their views. Pupils eco- warriors, buddies and play buddies also help make this large school feel welcoming and personal. The pupils make a considerable effort to improve the lives of others in their school community and beyond.

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The school’s recent significant expansion has been successful. Governors have held a strong strategic oversight of this. They put pupils’ pastoral and academic interests at the heart of their decision-making. Parents and carers are very pleased with the whole experience their children receive, knowing they are safe and looked after. As one parent commented, ‘This school has taught both my children confidence and resilience, given them courage and helped them learn and grow in a fantastic way.’

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The quality of pupils’ writing is not as good as it could be. This is because pupils are not given enough opportunity to write to a high standard in a range of subjects. The school needs to ensure that pupils are given more opportunities to demonstrate and develop their writing skills across the curriculum.  The school has developed its processes for checking how well pupils learn the intended curriculum. However, in some subjects, the school is not yet using this information as effectively as it could. This means that some pupils are not learning as well as they could in some subjects. The school should ensure that staff have sufficient information to identify gaps in pupils’ learning so that they can help pupils to achieve more. 23 and 24 January 2024

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 23 and 24 January 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher John Martin and Rebecca Willmouth (Co- headteachers) Website www.castlehillprimary.net

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 22 and 23 May 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has grown considerably since the previous inspection. The school now comprises a full two-form entry primary school on the Rooksdown Campus, along with the original two-form entry junior school at the Greenbank Campus.  One headteacher leads the school four days each week, with the full-time deputy headteacher taking the role of the headteacher on the fifth day. They are supported by a team of senior leaders.  The school runs its own breakfast club at the Greenbank Campus.  The school currently uses two unregistered alternative providers.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.  Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision. 23 and 24 January 2024

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 This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, science, history, and art and design. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors met with the co-headteachers and other leaders in the school. The lead inspector also met with members of the governing board, including the chair, and an education representative from the local authority.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and

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considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspectors reviewed a range of the school’s documentation, including self- evaluation reports, minutes of governing body meetings and behaviour incident logs.  The inspectors considered the views of parents expressed through Ofsted Parent View and inspectors also spoke with parents on both days of the inspection.  The views of staff were gathered through interviews and discussions conducted throughout the inspection, as well through as the staff survey.  Inspectors gathered pupils’ views throughout the inspection, including through classroom visits and group discussions and at playtimes and lunchtime.

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Inspection team

Chris Parker, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Carla Laney Ofsted Inspector 23 and 24 January 2024

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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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