On behalf of the children, staff, and governors of the school we would like to extend a warm welcome to you. Our school is situated in the small village of Castleside on the outskirts of Consett an area with a rich historical heritage.

At Castleside Primary we pride ourselves in being a vibrant learning community where the individual is valued and achievement in its widest sense is celebrated. We have very strong home/school/community partnerships and welcome the support that parents and the wider community can offer. Parental support helps to enhance the activities on offer to the children and we value offers of help in any capacity.

Our curriculum is broad and balanced and we make every effort to ensure that it is relevant to today’s society and therefore meaningful to the children. We use a variety of learning and teaching approaches and offer many opportunities for the children to learn independently and as part of a group. The skills they will develop will be essential to them as they progress beyond primary school and face the demands made of them as they get older.

Our 2022 Ofsted Report noted that;

“Pupils have positive attitudes towards learning. They challenge themselves and do not give up.”

“Pupils take small steps to build knowledge progressively and reach challenging end-points in units of work.”

We place a high premium on creating a learning environment in which children are happy and secure. We aim to create a safe place where children are encouraged to strive for the very best each and every day. Our ‘Rights Respecting’ status is a reflection of the importance we place upon celebrating the child as an individual in our society and developing them as responsible and empathetic citizens.

Our 2022 Ofsted noted that;

“Pupils’ manners are impeccable. Pupils know the school rules and respond to the high expectations teachers have of them.”

Ofsted also noted that pupils enjoy school because it is welcoming and fun.

We believe that learning should be enjoyable and believe that fun is an essential part of life at Castleside Primary. We want our pupils to leave with very happy memories of their time here, having achieved success and feeling motivated and enthusiastic about their future. I look forward to working in partnership with you and should you have any issues, concerns or ideas for improvement, please feel free to share these with me.