Castle Academy

Castle Academy has been evaluated as a good school overall, demonstrating strong performance across multiple areas. The school promotes an inclusive culture where pupils feel valued and take pride in their learning. With an ambitious curriculum that motivates pupils from early years through Year 6, the school provides numerous opportunities for personal development, including outdoor activities, leadership roles, and engagement with the local community. The support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is particularly noteworthy, enabling them to thrive academically and socially.

Strengths

• Establishes an ambitious and engaging curriculum from early years to Year 6
• Promotes a highly inclusive school culture
• Exceptional support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities
• Successful emphasis on reading and language development
• Strong opportunities for personal development and leadership roles
• Positive behaviour and attitudes among pupils
• Effective engagement with the local community

Areas for Improvement

• Some gaps in important knowledge due to ineffective knowledge sharing

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 Academy attended 94.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 18.5% 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, 3.9% of pupils at Castle Academy 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 Academy had 15.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.1% 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, 21.7% of pupils at Castle Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.6% 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 Academy received £8,546 and spent £9,724 for each of its 153 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £54,000 (£350 per pupil).

Across all 26 schools of Astrea Academy Trust, income was £8,290 and spending £8,206 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 Doncaster · Doncaster local authority: places and applications

Castle Academy is part of Astrea Academy Trust, which runs 26 schools. The nearest others:

• Denaby Main Primary Academy Doncaster
• Waverley Academy Doncaster
• Hexthorpe Primary School Doncaster
• Astrea Academy Woodfields Doncaster
• Astrea Academy Dearne Rotherham
• Carrfield Primary Academy Rotherham
• Atlas Academy Doncaster
• Highgate Primary Academy Rotherham
• The Hill Primary Academy Rotherham
• Gooseacre Primary Academy Rotherham

What is Castle Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Castle Academy is Good, from an inspection in September 2024.

When was Castle Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Castle Academy was last inspected in September 2024.

How many pupils does Castle Academy have?

Castle Academy has 143 pupils on roll.

What age range does Castle Academy cover?

Castle Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Castle Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 74% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Castle Academy?

Castle Academy is at Low Road, Doncaster, DN12 3DW.