Castlefort Junior Mixed and Infant School

Inspection of Castlefort Junior Mixed and Infant School Castlefort Road, Walsall Wood, Walsall, West Midlands WS9 9JP

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Good 29 and 30 April 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

From the moment pupils join Castlefort, they become part of a family group. School staff and Pippin, their mentor dog, care for them and greet them with a smile every day. Pupils are eager to learn. Everybody in the Castlefort community wants pupils to be the best they can be.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of everybody. Pupils take care presenting their work. They achieve well. Pupils enjoy talking about work they have done before and how this helps them with new learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

It is important to ‘be kind’ at Castlefort. Pupils do this consistently well. They enjoy playing together. Older pupils help younger pupils with their learning. Pupils consistently demonstrate respect towards each other. This helps them to earn castle coins to spend at The Emporium. Pupils feel happy and safe at school. They know that there is always somebody they can talk to when they need support.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many pupils have the opportunity to represent the school in different competitions. They are able to attend many clubs, such as sewing, yoga and football. All pupils are able to take part in visits to the zoo, the beach and residential stays. Pupils appreciate these experiences.

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

There is a determination that all children and pupils will achieve well. This starts in the early years. The school develops children as ‘little talkers’ to help them learn new words. Children make links in their learning from carefully crafted activities. Children can learn in imaginative and creative ways because of their inspiring environment. Children receive an excellent start as a result of expert teaching and leadership in the early years.

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

Staff identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) effectively. The school has developed its own nurture programme to support pupils with SEND.

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

There is an effective curriculum in place. The school has identified the essential knowledge and skills that pupils should know. Pupils are able to recall their learning and consider the impact it has on new learning. Teachers have strong subject knowledge and deliver the curriculum well. However, on a small number of occasions, staff do not provide pupils with work that precisely meets their needs. When this happens, it takes pupils longer to learn parts of the curriculum.

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

A love of reading, words and vocabulary runs throughout the school. Pupils enjoy spending time in their library and inviting reading areas. The reading curriculum underpins all that pupils learn. Children in the early years use a range of books to understand new words. By the time pupils are in key stage 2, they discuss the work of Shakespeare and are able to show a clear understanding of what they have read. Staff teach phonics well. When pupils find learning a new sound tricky, staff notice this and 29 and 30 April 2025

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give them extra help on the same day. This means they do not find sounds tricky for long.

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Close attention to detail in every corner of the school ensures a calm and inspiring learning environment. Pupils have good routines and follow rules well. There is a culture set for behaviour which sets high expectations. As a result, pupils take pride when recognised as a learning champion or ambassador. Pupils demonstrate the school values in all that they do. Pupils value the chance to celebrate their excellent behaviour and personal achievements during the annual presentation evening.

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The school prepares pupils to be exceptional citizens in their community. Roles such as peace patrollers, librarians and playground leaders help to achieve this. The curriculum gives pupils a deep understanding of the local area. They enjoy learning about their Walsall heritage. Pupils recognise matters such as equality, poverty and online safety. There is a relentless focus to enhance pupils’ knowledge of these issues. Close links with local organisations help achieve this.

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Celebrating pupils’ talents is a top priority in the school calendar. Pupils have chance to join a bake-off, dance festival and talent show. They have shared their artwork in a local gallery. Inter-school competitions across all areas of the curriculum happen often. These opportunities are very important to parents and carers.

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The governing body knows the school’s strengths and next steps well. It takes pride in its work to support the improvement work of the school. Governors and leaders are considerate of staff’s well-being and workload. Their high expectations and positive support for all mean staff feel valued, trusted and enjoy working at this school. Parents share this pride. They feel their children get the very best opportunities by coming to Castlefort.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 On a small number of occasions, teachers do not provide pupils with work that precisely meets their needs. This means that, for some pupils, being secure in aspects of the curriculum takes longer. The school should ensure that all staff have the skills and knowledge to provide support in a way that aids pupils’ learning.

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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 29 and 30 April 2025

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when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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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). 29 and 30 April 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 21 and 22 January 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not make use of any alternative provision.  The executive headteacher is responsible for this school and one other.  The school operates a breakfast club and an after-school club.  The school joined the Lighthouse Federation on 9 September 2022.

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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.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 29 and 30 April 2025

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in this evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and senior leaders. The lead inspector met with governors, reviewed minutes from governing body meetings and spoke with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, computing and history. For the deep dives, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils, and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also evaluated pupils’ work in English.  The lead inspector listened to pupils read to a known adult.  Inspectors looked at records of pupils’ attendance and behaviour. They observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school and talked to them about behaviour, bullying

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and welfare.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single 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 reviewed a range of documentation, including the school’s evaluation and improvement plans, a range of policies and information on the school’s website.  The inspectors met with groups of staff and pupils and considered the opinions expressed through Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.  The inspectors met some parents at the start of the day and had regard to the views expressed through Ofsted’s survey for parents and carers, Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Adam Montague-Clewes, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Su Plant His Majesty’s Inspector 29 and 30 April 2025

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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 looked-after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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