Castleton Primary School

Castleton Primary School is a small, welcoming primary school where pupils are at the heart of decisions and are well cared for. This was its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and its first inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005, although its predecessor school had previously been judged outstanding. The school is part of The Yorkshire Endeavor Academy Trust and is led by an executive headteacher who is also responsible for one other school.

Strengths

• Pupils are confident, articulate and proud to attend a welcoming school with a strong culture of community and belonging.
• Behaviour and attitudes to learning are of a high standard, with pupils who are polite, respectful and engaged.
• Curriculums are well ordered and build from the early years, helping pupils deepen knowledge and make connections across subjects.
• Teachers use assessment effectively to inform teaching, identify gaps and reinforce learning.
• Mathematics is well matched to pupils' abilities, including in mixed-aged classes and early years.
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are quickly identified and very well supported to learn alongside their peers.
• Reading has a high profile, with expertly taught daily phonics and books closely matched to pupils' phonics knowledge.
• Personal development is rich, including protected characteristics, fundamental British values, active citizenship and the Castleton Oaths.
• Pupils access a wide range of extra-curricular clubs and learn about careers and future employment.
• Staff workload and well-being are carefully considered, and staff are happy and proud to work at the school.
• Governors and trustees are highly effective, ambitious and hold the school to account.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

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 Castleton Primary School attended 96.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.8% 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 Castleton 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 Castleton Primary School had 23.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 13.0% of pupils at Castleton Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.3% 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 Castleton Primary School received £18,432 and spent £18,445 for each of its 48 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £69,000 (£1,430 per pupil).

Across all 5 schools of Yorkshire Endeavour Academy Trust, income was £10,725 and spending £10,855 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 Whitby · North Yorkshire local authority: places and applications

Castleton Primary School is part of Yorkshire Endeavour Academy Trust, which runs 6 schools. The nearest others:

• Lealholm Primary School Whitby
• Glaisdale Primary School Whitby
• Oakridge Community Primary School Saltburn-By-The-Sea
• West Cliff Primary School Whitby
• Airy Hill Primary School Whitby

What is Castleton Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Castleton Primary School is Outstanding, from an inspection in December 2024.

When was Castleton Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Castleton Primary School was last inspected in December 2024.

How many pupils does Castleton Primary School have?

Castleton Primary School has 46 pupils on roll.

What age range does Castleton Primary School cover?

Castleton Primary School for pupils aged 5 to 11.

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

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

Where is Castleton Primary School?

Castleton Primary School is at 38 High Street, Castleton, Whitby, North Yorkshire, YO21 2DA.