Castle View Primary Academy

Castle View Primary Academy has serious weaknesses in the quality of education and leadership, and pupils do not currently receive an acceptable standard of education. The strong start children make in the early years is not sustained beyond Reception, and low expectations mean that many pupils, including those with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, achieve less well than they should. Older pupils are particularly affected, with many leaving Year 6 inadequately prepared for secondary school, especially in English and mathematics. The curriculum is broad and ambitious on paper, but it has not been implemented well enough, particularly in mixed-age classes where younger pupils lack prior knowledge and older pupils often receive work that is too easy. Leadership and staffing turbulence has slowed improvement, although the trust has recently strengthened leadership and there are early signs of progress. Safeguarding is effective, and pupils feel safe.

Strengths

• Early years provision is good and children thrive.
• Staff in early years teach phonics effectively using strong subject knowledge.
• Reading is a priority, with a wide range of books and useful parent guidance.
• Pupils feel safe and safeguarding arrangements are effective.
• Many pupils behave well in lessons and follow the school's rules.
• Attendance is improving over time.
• Pupils learn about world faiths, cultures and how to stay safe.
• Staff appreciate leaders' consideration of workload and well-being.
• The trust has helped put a broad and ambitious curriculum in place.

Areas for Improvement

• Expectations for pupils' achievement are too low, including for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils.
• Many pupils do not reach an appropriate standard in English or mathematics by the end of Year 6.
• The curriculum does not meet the needs of pupils in mixed-age classes.
• Older pupils frequently receive work that is too easy, while younger pupils lack needed prior knowledge.
• Phonics teaching is inconsistent in key stage 1, with staff sometimes modelling sounds incorrectly.
• Staff do not check thoroughly enough that pupils have understood new learning.
• Assessment information is not used quickly enough to identify missing knowledge.
• Some pupils' behaviour is inconsiderate of others, especially at break and lunchtime.
• Personal development is at an early stage and pupils have limited wider opportunities.
• Some pupils lack confidence to share their views and ideas in discussions.
• A lengthy period of leadership and staffing turbulence has slowed improvement.

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 Academy attended 92.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 21.3% 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, 1.0% of pupils at Castle View Primary Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was 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 Academy had 25.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 50.0% 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 Castle View Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.0% 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 Academy received £10,441 and spent £10,789 for each of its 101 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £144,000 (-£1,422 per pupil).

Across all 15 schools of Cidari Education Limited, income was £8,446 and spending £8,235 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 Lancaster · Lancashire local authority: places and applications

Castle View Primary Academy is part of Cidari Education Limited, which runs 15 schools. The nearest others:

• St George's School A Church of England Academy Blackpool
• Baines' Endowed Church of England Primary Academy Blackpool
• St Matthew's Church of England Primary Academy Preston
• South Shore Academy Blackpool
• Warton St Paul's Church of England Primary Academy Preston
• St Silas's CofE Primary School Blackburn
• St Luke and St Philips Church of England Primary School Blackburn
• St Aidan's Primary School - A Church of England Academy Blackburn
• Newchurch-In-Pendle St Mary's Church of England Primary School Burnley
• Knuzden St Oswald's Church of England Primary Academy Blackburn

What is Castle View Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Castle View Primary Academy is Inadequate, from an inspection in May 2026.

When was Castle View Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Castle View Primary Academy was last inspected in May 2026.

How many pupils does Castle View Primary Academy have?

Castle View Primary Academy has 100 pupils on roll.

What age range does Castle View Primary Academy cover?

Castle View Primary Academy for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 31% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Castle View Primary Academy?

Castle View Primary Academy is at Keswick Road, Lancaster, Lancashire, LA1 3LE.