Castle Hill Academy

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Castle Hill Academy Dunley Drive, New Addington, Croydon, Surrey CR0 0RJ

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Outcome

Castle Hill Academy has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Katy Peart. This school is part of Platanos 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), Dr Chun Lok, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Humroy Whyte.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud and happy to be part of Castle Hill Academy. Staff recognise the importance of building strong relationships with every family. Pupils enjoy welcoming visitors to their caring and inclusive school. The school prioritises widening pupils’ awareness of the world around them. This is supported by the well understood school motto of ‘attitude determines altitude.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from high-quality education and care at this school. They enjoy the broad range of subjects they study. Pupils respond well to the school’s expectations and achieve well by the end of Year 6.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s expectations for behaviour are consistently high and pupils rise to meet them. This begins in the Nursery and continues throughout the school. There is a calm and purposeful environment across the school. Pupils treat one another with kindness and respect. Pupils know that staff are always on hand to provide support and to help to resolve disagreements.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Enrichment activities are carefully woven into the curriculum. This includes the weekly animal therapy session. Trips and meetings with visitors are designed to reinforce learning alongside an extensive range of clubs. Many pupils take on responsibilities such as being part of the school council, anti-bullying ambassadors, student librarians and maths ambassadors. 8 and 9 July 2025

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

The school has designed an engaging, broad, and ambitious curriculum. This starts in the early years, where the essential learning, vocabulary and skills are clearly thought out. Pupils develop a broad and rich understanding of the subject-specific knowledge that they need to access future learning. As a result, pupils progress well through the curriculum. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education. In some instances, published outcomes do not fully reflect the quality of education provided. This is mainly because not all pupils sit the national tests or assessments at the end of Year 6.

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

The curriculum supports children to become independent learners. It develops pupils’ curiosity and concentration effectively from a young age. Activities are designed to encourage pupils to challenge themselves in lessons. However, sometimes the way that teaching checks whether pupils understand their learning is not effective enough. This means that occasionally a minority of pupils have gaps in their learning of subject content and develop misconceptions.

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

There is a sharp focus on learning to read. The school’s teaching of phonics ensures children get off to a strong start. Staff make careful checks on pupils’ phonics knowledge to identify and help those who need extra support. Staff provide additional reading sessions for any pupil who needs such help. Pupils develop a love of reading and enjoy a wide range of literature. They are enthusiastic about reading.

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

The school is highly inclusive and caters effectively for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff understand pupils’ barriers to learning and help them to overcome these through effective adaptations and support. In the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND (resourced provision) the curriculum is carefully thought out to support pupils to learn effectively. There is a strong commitment to equity which ensures that pupils with SEND are fully included in school life.

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

Children in the early years develop positive learning behaviours that prepare them well for their education journey. They develop positive relationships with one another and relish learning outside and inside the classroom. Staff benefit from their training, such as on how to help children to develop their spoken language. Staff help children well to learn new words.

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

All staff are clear about the behaviours that the school expects from pupils. Pupils say that everyone is welcome here and difference is celebrated. They concentrate on their work very well. When pupils need it, they receive excellent pastoral support. Leaders track attendance closely and work effectively to support families to address concerns, such as if pupils are absent too often. As a result, rates of attendance have improved.

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

The school recognises that pupils learn best when they feel happy, safe, and secure. It provides ambitious opportunities for pupils’ wider development. The personal development programme is very comprehensive and responsive to the needs of the pupils. Pupils develop an assured understanding of how to stay safe online and an age- appropriate awareness of healthy relationships. Trips out and meetings with visitors to 8 and 9 July 2025

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school provide pupils with a rich set of experiences to hone their talents and interests. The school sets them up well for life in modern Britain.

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Leaders have pupils’ and their families’ best interests at the heart of all that they do. Staff feel valued and are proud to be part of this school. They appreciate that they receive high-quality training to help them to develop professionally.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 On occasion, the school does not ensure that teaching checks effectively if pupils are secure in what knowledge they have learned. As a result, a minority of pupils have misconceptions in their learning and move on to new learning before they are ready. The school should ensure that teachers have the expertise they need to assess accurately where pupils have gaps, and address them promptly.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour, or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in November 2019. 8 and 9 July 2025

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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). 8 and 9 July 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 20 and 21 November 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Castle Hill Academy is a member of the Platanos Academy Trust.  The school runs a breakfast club and an after-school club.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school has a resourced provision for 49 pupils with autism.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 8 and 9 July 2025

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 The inspector met with a range of senior leaders, including the headteacher and trust CEO. The inspector also met with a group of governors and trustees, including the chair of the trust.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: 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.  The inspector reviewed a range of school documentation and policies. These included the school development plan, the school self-evaluation form, minutes of governing board and trust board meetings, attendance information, behaviour logs and safeguarding records.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.

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 The inspector considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. She reviewed the responses to the online staff survey. In addition, the inspector spoke with pupils, staff, and parents to gather their views of the school.

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Inspection team

Sam Johnson, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 8 and 9 July 2025

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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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