Ark Castledown Primary Academy
Priory Road, Hastings, TN34 3QTOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Ark Castledown Primary Academy is a primary school in Hastings for ages 2 to 11. It is one of the 214 schools in East Sussex. It ranks 4th of 9 primary schools in Hastings. Its latest Ofsted outcome is a report card, from an inspection in November 2025.
Ofsted report card
Inspected 11 November 2025, report published 11 January 2026
Each area is graded from urgent improvement to exceptional, and safeguarding is either met or not met.
- Inclusion
- Exceptional
- Curriculum and teaching
- Strong standard
- Achievement
- Strong standard
- Attendance and behaviour
- Strong standard
- Personal development and wellbeing
- Strong standard
- Leadership and governance
- Strong standard
- Early years
- Strong standard
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 11 November 2025
Pupils thrive at this highly inclusive school. They have a clear sense of belonging and feel safe. Pupils are confident and proud of their school. They especially enjoy making a difference in their community, for example through improving their allotment, performing in the Hastings carnival parade, or singing together with other schools in London. Pupils behave with integrity. They display positive attitudes towards staff and each other, and show respect to all. Playtimes and lunchtimes are vibrant and fun. Pupils play happily together. Bullying is rare but dealt with quickly if it ever happens. Pupils enjoy school and most attend regularly. If any pupils are at risk of lower attendance, they receive highly personalised and thoughtful pastoral care and support to help them attend more frequently. Children in early years, as well as pupils who join the school in later years, make a strong start, because staff have a deep understanding of the various barriers to learning and wellbeing that pupils may face. They are expert at identifying these barriers quickly, and begin reducing them right from the start. In particular, the school's highly consistent approach to ensuring that pupils develop strong communication and language skills is impressive. The school works closely with parents and external agencies to get the right help and support that pupils need to succeed. The curriculum is highly ambitious. It is taught consistently well so that pupils' knowledge and understanding deepens over time. The school's expert provision for reading and mathematics ensures that pupils, in particular disadvantaged pupils, achieve extremely well from their starting points. Pupils achieve well in other subjects too. Outcomes in national tests and examinations highlight how, by the end of key stage 2, pupils are very well prepared for their next stage of education.
What the school should improve
- Leaders should continue with their strategy and implementation of ensuring sustained high attendance for all pupils.
Exam results
SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25
49 pupils took the tests
Pupil numbers and mix
403 pupils on roll, with places for 480
Schools near Ark Castledown Primary Academy
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School | 0.3 miles | Ofsted: Good | Not published |
| Mulberry Baird Primary | 0.4 miles | Ofsted: Requires improvement | 56% met the expected standard |
| Dudley Infant Academy | 0.4 miles | Ofsted: Good | Not published |
| All Saints CofE Junior Academy | 0.6 miles | Ofsted: Good | 63% met the expected standard |
| Ark Blacklands Primary Academy | 0.8 miles | Ofsted: Outstanding | 92% met the expected standard |
School details
- School type
- Academy sponsor led
- Sector
- Academy
- Trust
- ARK SCHOOLS
- Age range
- 2 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Nursery classes
- Yes
- Headteacher
- Miss Rebecca Stewart
- Phone
- 01424444046
- Address
- Priory Road, Hastings, TN34 3QT
- Local authority
- East Sussex
- URN
- 144083
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.