Ark Castledown Primary Academy is a primary school in Hastings, serving pupils aged 2 to 11. The school is a academy sponsor led and operates as a mixed school. It follows a not applicable admissions policy. It does not have a designated religious character, which may suit families looking for a non-faith school.
Ark Castledown Primary Academy currently has around 396 pupils on roll, which is about 83% of its capacity. The gender split is relatively balanced, with approximately 53% boys and 47% girls. Around 55.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which gives an indication of the socio-economic mix. The student population reflects a mixed community across different backgrounds and needs.
Overall absence at the school is 6.7%. Persistent absence is recorded at 19%.
The majority of pupils are from a white british background (64.6%). other white pupils make up about 10.6%
At its latest Ofsted inspection, the school was rated Good. This suggests the school is performing well overall. Safeguarding was judged to be effective, which is a key consideration for many parents.
| Address: | Priory Road, Hastings, TN34 3QT |
| Website: | http://www.arkcastledown.org |
| Telephone: | 01424444046 |
| School Type: | Academy sponsor led |
| Education phase: | Primary |
| Local authority: | East Sussex |
| Headteacher / Principal: | Miss Rebecca Stewart |
| Religious character: | Does not apply |
| Admissions policy: | Not applicable |
| Unique reference: | 144083 |
Ofsted inspection date: 23/11/2021
Safeguarding is effective
| Age Range: | 2 - 11 |
| Gender: | Mixed |
| School Capacity: | 480 |
| Number of Pupils: | 396 |
| Number of Boys: | 210 |
| Number of Girls: | 186 |
| School | England state-funded schools: | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall absence: | 6.7% | 4% |
| Persistent absence: | 19% | 8.2% |
| White British | 64.60% | 256 |
| Other White | 10.60% | 42 |
| Indian | 5.80% | 23 |
| African | 4.00% | 16 |
| Other Asian | 3.30% | 13 |
| Unclassified | 3.00% | 12 |
| Other Mixed | 2.30% | 9 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 1.50% | 6 |
| Other (any other ethnic group) | 1.30% | 5 |
| White and Asian | 1.00% | 4 |
| Chinese | 1.00% | 4 |
| Caribbean | 0.80% | 3 |
| Bangladeshi | 0.50% | 2 |
| Other Black | 0.30% | 1 |
| Irish Traveller (Traveller of Irish heritage) | 0.00% | 0 |
| Gypsy/Roma | 0.00% | 0 |
| White and Black African | 0.00% | 0 |
| Irish | 0.00% | 0 |
| Pakistani | 0.00% | 0 |
Progress scores show how pupils performed compared with pupils nationally who had similar prior attainment. Scores above 0 are better than average; below 0 are worse than average.
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castledown Primary School Priory Road , TN34 3QT | - not rated | 0 yd | Community school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Ark Castledown Primary Academy Priory Road , TN34 3QT | 3out of 4 | 0 yd | Academy sponsor led | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Hastings Old London Road , TN35 5NA | 3out of 4 | 471 yd | Voluntary aided school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Elphinstone Community School Parker Road , TN34 3TH | - not rated | 682 yd | Community school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| The Baird Primary Academy Parker Road , TN34 3TH | 2out of 4 | 682 yd | Academy sponsor led | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Parker Sports College Parkstone Road , TN34 2NT | - not rated | 2,374 yd | Voluntary controlled school | No | Boys | More About School |
| Ark Alexandra Academy Park Avenue , William Parker Campus TN34 2PG | 2out of 4 | 2,374 yd | Academy sponsor led | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Hillcrest School Rye Road , TN35 5DN | - not rated | 2,711 yd | Community school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| The Hastings Academy Rye Road , TN35 5DN | 2out of 4 | 2,747 yd | Academy sponsor led | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Torfield School Croft Road , TN34 3JT | 4out of 4 | 180 yd | Academy special converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Torfield School Croft Road , TN34 3JT | - not rated | 180 yd | Community special school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| The Flagship School The Ridge , TN34 2AE | 1out of 4 | 186 yd | Free schools special | No | Mixed | More About School |
| The Flagship School The Ridge , TN34 2AE | - not rated | 186 yd | Free schools special | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Oakridge School 3 Haywood Way , Ivyhouse Industrial Estate TN35 4PL | - not rated | 2,082 yd | Other independent school | No | Mixed | More About School |
School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.