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Castle Hill Infant School has maintained its 'Good' rating following its latest Ofsted inspection, with inspectors praising its "broad, ambitious and inclusive" curriculum.
Why it matters: The inspection, carried out in December 2024, confirms the Dryden Road school continues to provide good education for its 214 pupils, maintaining the standards identified in its previous inspection in January 2019.
The big picture: Under the leadership of headteacher Jennifer Smith, the school has successfully embedded a curriculum focused on nurturing, engaging, inspiring and helping pupils achieve. Inspectors highlighted how teachers make learning come alive through creative approaches, such as following gingerbread crumbs to find the gingerbread man or recreating the Great Fire of London.
Key findings:
The school's provision for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) was identified as a particular strength.
Pupils demonstrate positive attitudes to learning through the school's "learning knights" approach.
Reading is prioritised, with children starting phonics lessons as soon as they begin Reception.
The school's "PRIDE" values of passion, resilience, integrity, determination and equity are well understood by pupils.
Areas for improvement: Inspectors noted that some pupils do not attend school regularly enough, which affects their ability to benefit fully from the school's opportunities. They also found that some pupils don't routinely receive tasks that build effectively on their prior learning.
The bottom line: While celebrating the school's continued success, the inspection report recommends strengthening attendance work with families and ensuring all pupils receive appropriately challenging tasks to deepen their knowledge further.
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