Castle View Primary School

Castle View Primary School is a nurturing and welcoming school where pupils feel safe and are well cared for. The inspection found the school performing well across all judged areas, a marked improvement on its previous inspection. Pupils generally progress well through a broad and ambitious curriculum, behave well, and benefit from a wide range of personal development and enrichment opportunities. Reading is a particular priority, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are identified accurately and supported effectively, and attendance has improved significantly. The school is well led, with staff feeling supported and governance providing effective support. Children in the early years settle into clear routines and learn enthusiastically. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. The school is part of the QEGSMAT multi-academy trust and includes nursery provision for children from the age of two. There are still areas to improve. In some lessons, teachers do not check pupils' understanding carefully enough, so gaps in learning or misconceptions are not always identified and addressed. In some subjects, learning activities are not consistently planned to help pupils build securely on prior learning, which means some pupils do not learn as well as they could.

Strengths

• A broad and ambitious curriculum is in place from the early years.
• Most pupils progress well and produce high-quality work.
• Teachers have secure subject knowledge and explain new learning logically.
• Reading and phonics are prioritised and taught well.
• Pupils with SEND are identified accurately and supported effectively.
• Pupils behave well in a calm and orderly school.
• The school provides effective support for pupils who struggle with behaviour.
• Attendance has improved significantly through well-thought-out support.
• Pupils benefit from a wide range of clubs, trips and enrichment opportunities.
• Personal development prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain.
• Staff feel supported and leadership understands the school's strengths and priorities.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• Teachers do not always check pupils' understanding effectively.
• Gaps in learning and misconceptions are sometimes not identified or addressed.
• In some subjects, learning activities do not consistently help pupils build on prior learning.
• Some pupils do not learn as well as they could in some subjects.

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 View Primary School attended 95.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 12.7% 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, 4.2% of pupils at Castle View 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 View Primary School had 20.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.7% 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, 18.5% of pupils at Castle View Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.2% 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 View Primary School received £9,964 and spent £10,643 for each of its 114 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £80,000 (£703 per pupil).

Across all 15 schools of Tapestry Learning Partnership, income was £8,269 and spending £8,367 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 Matlock · Derbyshire local authority: places and applications

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

• Morton Primary Academy Alfreton
• Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School Ashbourne
• Langley Mill Academy Nottingham
• Hilltop Primary Academy Ashbourne
• Laceyfields Academy Heanor
• Kensington Junior Academy Ilkeston
• Springfield Academy Nottingham
• Djanogly Strelley Academy Nottingham
• City of Derby Academy Derby
• Djanogly Northgate Academy Nottingham

What is Castle View Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Castle View Primary School is Good, from an inspection in April 2025.

When was Castle View Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Castle View Primary School was last inspected in April 2025.

How many pupils does Castle View Primary School have?

Castle View Primary School has 130 pupils on roll.

What age range does Castle View Primary School cover?

Castle View Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

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

In 2025, 33% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Castle View Primary School?

Castle View Primary School is at School Road, Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 3DS.