Castle View Primary Academy, Lancaster
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 6 months agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
Castle View has made strong progress under new leadership, creating a supportive environment where pupils feel safe and cared for. The school has improved behaviour significantly through clear expectations, and pupils are much happier at playtimes and lunchtimes. Reading skills are strengthening thanks to much more consistent phonics teaching, and the school is offering an expanded range of clubs and trips to build pupils' confidence and interests.
Key Strengths
- New leadership has successfully established a culture of trust and support, with staff approaching change with enthusiasm
- Behaviour has improved significantly - pupils now learn in a calm and secure environment, and playtimes are more enjoyable
- Phonics teaching is now far more consistent, with pupils in key stage 1 reading with greater fluency and spelling words accurately
- Attendance rates are improving and persistent absence is decreasing
- Personal development programme is expanding with more clubs, trips and visits, including a residential to develop teamwork and resilience
Areas for Improvement
- Achievement gaps remain - many pupils still lack age-appropriate knowledge in reading, writing and mathematics, particularly in mixed-age classes
- Teachers are not checking pupils' understanding thoroughly enough on a daily basis, so misconceptions are not identified and addressed
- Curriculum adaptation for mixed-age classes is still at an early stage, meaning some older pupils are not challenged enough
- Teaching for pupils with SEND is inconsistent across classrooms and relies too heavily on additional adult support
- Attendance rates, while improving, remain above the national average
Safeguarding
Safeguarding was evaluated as effective at the previous graded inspection.
Extracurricular Activities
Stadium visit to Manchester, residential trip for developing self-esteem and teamwork, clubs, trips and visits
Castle View Primary Academy was judged to require significant improvement in February 2025 due to low pupil achievement, inconsistent teaching, and weak behaviour management. This monitoring inspection in March 2026 shows leaders are taking effective action to improve the school, though continued work is needed to remove the requires significant improvement designation.
At a Glance
56.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 52% to 62%. Maths has declined from 48% to 38%. Writing has improved from 36% to 54%.
Class Sizes
25.3
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
30.5
KS2
4
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
48%
Available places
100 pupils
210 capacity
110 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Lancaster
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Lancaster
Admissions Demand - Lancashire
Places available
15,664
Applications
12,136
Got 1st preference
93.0%
Got preferred school
98.8%
Primary admissions across Lancashire (2025/26)
Inspection History(2)
House Prices
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SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.09541%
Overall absence
21.2963%
Persistent absence
108
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
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Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Castle View Primary Academy
Lancaster High School
Lancaster Royal Grammar School
Chadwick High School
Our Lady's Catholic College
Lancaster Girls' Grammar School
The Loyne Specialist School
Ripley St Thomas Church of England Academy
Jamea Al Kauthar
Nearby Schools
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