Castleton Primary School

Inspection of Castleton Primary School 38 High Street, Castleton, Whitby, North Yorkshire YO21 2DA

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Inspection dates: 26 and 27 November 2024

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

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Previous inspection grade Ofsted has not previously inspected Castleton Primary School under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. However, Ofsted previously judged Castleton Primary School to be outstanding for overall effectiveness, before it opened as an academy. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade.

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The headteacher of this school is Oliver Cooper. This school is part of The Yorkshire Endeavor Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Christina Zanelli, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Mathew Brown. The headteacher is also the executive headteacher and responsible for one other school. 26 and 27 November 2024

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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.

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What is it like 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 school. Expectations for learning are incredibly high, and pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

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.

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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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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. 26 and 27 November 2024

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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How can I feed back my views?

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). 26 and 27 November 2024

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School details

Headteacher Oliver Cooper (executive headteacher)

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School details

Website www.castletonprimaryschool.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Castleton Primary School converted to become an academy in February 2018. When its predecessor school, Castleton Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be outstanding for overall effectiveness.  The school is part of The Yorkshire Endeavor Academy Trust.  The school does not use alternative provision for its pupils.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 26 and 27 November 2024

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of the school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken this into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, 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 trust CEO and the members of the board of trustees and of the governing body.  Inspectors reviewed a range of school documents, including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

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central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered the views of parents through the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents, Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors considered the views of pupils through meetings and at social times.  Inspectors considered the views of staff through meetings and through their responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.

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Inspection team

Emma Watson, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Chris Baines Ofsted Inspector 26 and 27 November 2024

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