Castle Primary School

Castle Primary School is performing well, achieving a good overall effectiveness rating in all inspected areas. The school is characterized by a welcoming atmosphere, strong relationships among pupils, staff, and families, and a nurturing environment that fosters positive behavior and a sense of community. Leaders have high expectations and provide various enrichment opportunities to promote pupils' confidence and responsibility, helping them to feel valued and safe while thoroughly engaged in their learning experience.

Strengths

• Strong relationships between pupils, staff, and families
• A nurturing environment with high expectations
• Wide range of opportunities enriching the curriculum
• Effective early years provision focusing on language skills
• Creative ways to develop a love of reading
• Calm and purposeful lessons with minimal disruption
• Proactive support for SEND pupils

Areas for Improvement

• In some subjects, key knowledge is not clearly defined
• Some subject leaders are new and haven't evaluated curriculum impact

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Castle Primary School attended 95.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.6% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.0% of pupils at Castle Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Castle Primary School had 21.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 25.6% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 17.0% of pupils at Castle Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.1% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Castle Primary School received £9,556 and spent £8,472 for each of its 80 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £91,000 (£1,141 per pupil).

Across all 15 schools of The Learning Partnership Academies Trust, income was £7,536 and spending £7,682 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Stoke-On-Trent · Staffordshire local authority: places and applications

Castle Primary School is part of The Learning Partnership Academies Trust, which runs 15 schools. The nearest others:

• Dove Bank Primary School Stoke-On-Trent
• Daven Primary School Congleton
• Congleton High School Congleton
• Black Firs Primary School Congleton
• Wheelock Primary School Sandbach
• Sir William Stanier School Crewe
• Cheshire Studio School Crewe
• Crewe Engineering and Design UTC Crewe
• Shavington Primary School Crewe
• The Oaks Academy Crewe

What is Castle Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Castle Primary School is Good, from an inspection in August 2023.

When was Castle Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Castle Primary School was last inspected in August 2023.

How many pupils does Castle Primary School have?

Castle Primary School has 94 pupils on roll.

What age range does Castle Primary School cover?

Castle Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Castle Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 50% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Castle Primary School?

Castle Primary School is at Mow Cop Road, Mow Cop, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST7 4NE.