Castle Hill Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

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

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.

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.'



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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(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.

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.

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.

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

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