Prudhoe Castle First School
Castle Road, Prudhoe, NE42 6PNOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Prudhoe Castle First School is a primary school in Prudhoe for ages 2 to 9. It is one of the 171 schools in Northumberland. Its latest Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, graded each key judgement and gave no overall Ofsted rating.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 25 March 2025, report published 18 May 2025
This inspection graded each key judgement and gave no overall effectiveness grade.
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years provision
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 25 March 2025
This school calls itself the 'little school with a big heart and big ambition'. Pupils enjoy attending. They learn and play happily together. They try hard to meet the school's high expectations. There has been a lot of staffing changes, but pupils are settled. They achieve well in most subjects and enjoy helping each other. The two-year-olds make a great start to their learning in 'Little Castle'. They quickly gain confidence and learn routines. Older pupils enjoy taking on responsibilities as school councillors and play leaders. Pupils strive to 'be more CASTLE' by demonstrating attributes such as ambition and empathy. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve well. They play a full part in the life of the school. This includes participation in the school's many clubs and activities, such as yoga, music and sports. Pupils feel safe at school. They know when and how to seek help. Staff are quick to sort out any problems if they arise. Pupils behave well and treat each other with respect. They love having their efforts recognised by earning gold awards at the end of each week.
What the school should improve
- The presentation of work in pupils' books and the quality of pupils' handwriting are inconsistent. Many pupils do not use a fluent handwriting style. This is because until recently, the school has not focused sufficiently on teaching handwriting and insisting on high standards of presentation. The school should continue to prioritise these skills, so that standards of handwriting and presentation match the improvements made in the rest of the curriculum.
- In some mathematics lessons, pupils' misconceptions are not addressed quickly enough when teaching is focused on a different year group. This is because systems for teaching mathematics to the school's mixed-age classes are not yet embedded. The school should continue its review of the organisation of mathematics lessons, so that pupils can receive rapid, accurate feedback on their learning.
Pupil numbers and mix
74 pupils on roll, with places for 150
Schools near Prudhoe Castle First School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prudhoe West Academy | 0.3 miles | Report card: Strong standard | Not published |
| St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, Prudhoe | 0.4 miles | Ofsted: Good | 94% met the expected standard |
| Highfield Middle School | 0.4 miles | Ofsted: Good | 55% met the expected standard |
| Ovingham Church of England First School | 0.5 miles | Ofsted: Good | Not published |
| Ovingham Middle School | 0.5 miles | Ofsted: Good | 68% met the expected standard |
School details
- School type
- Academy converter
- Sector
- Academy
- Trust
- CHEVIOT LEARNING TRUST
- Age range
- 2 to 9
- Gender
- Mixed
- Nursery classes
- Yes
- Headteacher
- Miss Jill Dodds
- Phone
- 01661833122
- Address
- Castle Road, Prudhoe, NE42 6PN
- Local authority
- Northumberland
- URN
- 146924
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.