Castle View Academy

Castle View Academy is a secondary school within the United Learning Trust. Following its latest full inspection, the school is judged to be performing at the expected standard overall, with safeguarding standards met. Leaders have driven significant improvements in achievement, particularly in English and mathematics, where results are now in line with national averages and more disadvantaged pupils are gaining the qualifications needed for further education, employment, and training. The quality of teaching and the curriculum has been strengthened across subjects, and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged receive effective support. Pupils benefit from a calm, purposeful learning environment, positive relationships with staff, and a wide range of personal development opportunities. However, attendance remains a significant challenge. Pupils' attendance is below national averages and persistent absence is high, although leaders have introduced a range of strategies that are beginning to have an impact. It is too early to see the full effect of these actions. Additionally, while personal development provision is broad and well-sequenced, pupils' understanding of the personal development curriculum is not yet secure across all year groups, and leaders have been asked to ensure it prepares pupils well for life after school. Other areas, such as achievement in science and humanities, have improved but remain below the strongest levels seen in English and mathematics. The school benefits from effective leadership and governance, with the trust and local governors providing strong oversight and support. Staff morale is high, and leaders are considerate of workload and wellbeing. The school serves a community with a well-above-average proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals (55.33%), and it makes use of one registered alternative provision. Inspectors found that behaviour has improved significantly, and pupils feel safe and valued.

Strengths

• Strong improvements in English and mathematics, now in line with national averages.
• Effective support for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND.
• Well-sequenced and ambitious curriculum across all subjects.
• High-quality teaching with consistent lesson structure and expert subject knowledge.
• Inclusive culture where pupils feel part of the school community.
• Effective leadership and governance with strong trust and governor oversight.
• Positive staff morale and consideration for workload and wellbeing.
• Calm and purposeful learning environment with effective behaviour routines.
• Comprehensive careers programme and wide range of extra-curricular activities.
• High-quality pastoral support and strong safeguarding culture.
• Pupils behave well and have positive relationships with staff.

Areas for Improvement

• Attendance is below national averages and remains too low, despite some improvement.
• Persistent absence is well above national averages.
• Strategies to improve attendance are not yet fully embedded, so their full impact is not yet seen.
• Pupils' understanding of the personal development curriculum is not secure across all year groups.
• The personal development curriculum does not yet ensure pupils are well prepared for life after school.

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 Academy attended 84.1% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 41.9% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

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, 21.9% of pupils at Castle View Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 4 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 Academy had 18.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.5% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

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 Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.0% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

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 secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Castle View Academy received £8,853 and spent £9,170 for each of its 732 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £654,000 (£894 per pupil).

Across all 93 schools of United Learning Trust, income was £8,687 and spending £8,616 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 Portsmouth · Portsmouth local authority: places and applications

Castle View Academy is part of United Learning Trust, which runs 98 schools. The nearest others:

• The Victory Primary School Portsmouth
• Beacon View Primary Academy Portsmouth
• Regents Park Community College Southampton
• Southway Primary School Bognor Regis
• The Regis School West Sussex
• Midhurst Rother College Midhurst
• Avonbourne Boys' Academy Bournemouth
• Avonbourne Girls Academy Bournemouth
• Avonwood Primary School Bournemouth
• Glenmoor Academy Bournemouth

What is Castle View Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Castle View Academy is Needs attention, from an inspection in July 2026.

When was Castle View Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Castle View Academy was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does Castle View Academy have?

Castle View Academy has 757 pupils on roll.

What age range does Castle View Academy cover?

Castle View Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Castle View Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 39.2, and 38% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Castle View Academy?

Castle View Academy is at Allaway Avenue, Paulsgrove, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO6 4QP.