Casterton Primary Academy
Casterton Primary Academy, Thames Avenue, Burnley, BB10 2PZ
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy sponsor led
- Ages
- 5 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Trust
- PENDLE EDUCATION TRUST
- Headteacher
- Mr Paul Whaling
- Sponsor
- Pendle Education Trust
- Constituency
- Burnley
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 280
- Pupils on roll
- 291
- URN
- 145978
- Local authority
- Lancashire
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01282435657
About this school
Casterton Primary Academy is a primary academy in Burnley. It teaches children aged 5 to 11 and has 291 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected Casterton Primary Academy, and its latest judgement is set out below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 43 | 40 | 43 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 56% | 78% | 72% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 9% | 13% | 12% |
| Expected standard in reading | 63% | 80% | 86% |
| Expected standard in maths | 72% | 78% | 74% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 70% | 78% | 79% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 102.0 | 105.0 | 105.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 104.0 | 104.0 | 105.0 |
| Reading progress | 0.00 | - | - |
| Writing progress | +3.70 | - | - |
| Maths progress | +2.60 | - | - |
Progress measures ended nationally after the 2022/23 school year, when the key stage 1 assessments they were based on were stopped. Blank progress figures in later years are not missing school data.
Trends over time
How Casterton Primary Academy has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Lancashire average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 56% | 58.3% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 78% | 58.3% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 72% | 58.8% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 5.9% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 5.6% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 5.4% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 298 |
| 2023/24 | 297 |
| 2024/25 | 289 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Casterton Primary Academy compares
Casterton Primary Academy ranked 117th of 445 primary schools in Lancashire for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 71% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 52% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 72% | 5.4% | 35.6% | 291 | — |
| St John the Baptist RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy | 59% | 5.5% | 33.5% | 212 | 0.1 miles |
| Reedley Primary School | 61% | 5.9% | 44.6% | 408 | 0.4 miles |
| St James' Lanehead Church of England Primary School | 50% | 4.6% | 30.7% | 279 | 0.5 miles |
| Barden Primary School | 60% | 5.5% | 31.2% | 474 | 0.7 miles |
| Pendle Primary Academy | 64% | 5.8% | 29.8% | 415 | 0.7 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 35.64%
- English as an additional language
- 34.6%
- Overall absence
- 5.38%
- Persistent absence
- 12.36%
Location
Nearby schools
-
St John the Baptist RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy0.1 miles
Primary · Burnley
-
Reedley Primary School0.4 miles
Primary · Burnley
-
St James' Lanehead Church of England Primary School0.5 miles
Primary · Burnley
-
Barden Primary School0.7 miles
Primary · Burnley
-
Pendle Primary Academy0.7 miles
Primary · Nelson
Other schools in Burnley
Casterton Primary Academy ranks 5th of the 33 ranked primary schools in Burnley.
- Barden Primary School Primary
- Briercliffe Primary School Primary
- Burnley Brunshaw Primary School Primary
- Burnley Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School Primary
- Burnley Ightenhill Primary School Primary
- Burnley Lowerhouse Junior School Primary
- Burnley Springfield Community Primary School Primary
- Burnley St Peter's Church of England Primary School Primary
- Burnley St Stephen's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Primary
- Burnley Stoneyholme Community Primary School Primary
- Cherry Fold Community Primary School Primary
- Christ The King Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Primary
Common questions
- What ages does Casterton Primary Academy teach?
- Casterton Primary Academy teaches children aged 5 to 11. It is a primary school in Burnley.
- Who is the headteacher of Casterton Primary Academy?
- The headteacher of Casterton Primary Academy is Mr Paul Whaling, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Casterton Primary Academy been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Casterton Primary Academy, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How many pupils are at Casterton Primary Academy?
- Casterton Primary Academy has 291 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 5 to 11.
- Is Casterton Primary Academy full?
- Casterton Primary Academy has capacity for 280 pupils and 291 on roll (104%), so it is at or above its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Casterton Primary Academy a faith school?
- No. Casterton Primary Academy has no designated religious character.
- Does Casterton Primary Academy have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records Casterton Primary Academy as having no nursery classes.
- Is Casterton Primary Academy part of an academy trust?
- Casterton Primary Academy is part of PENDLE EDUCATION TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How have Casterton Primary Academy's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 56% in 2022/23 and 72% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does Casterton Primary Academy compare with other schools in Lancashire?
- Casterton Primary Academy ranked 117th of 445 primary schools in Lancashire for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 71% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 52% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Casterton Primary Academy's absence rate?
- Casterton Primary Academy's overall absence rate is 5.4% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Casterton Primary Academy's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Casterton Primary Academy's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 10 July 2026.