Casterton Primary Academy
About Casterton Primary Academy
Casterton Primary Academy is a state-funded mixed primary school in Burnley, Lancashire, that is currently running above its official capacity with 289 pupils against a published capacity of 280. The school serves a community with a notably high level of disadvantage: 35.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is significantly above the national average for primary schools in England. Demand for places is strong — for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 146 applications for just 38 places, an oversubscription ratio of 3.84. Of those, 35 were first-preference applications, and 33 first-preference offers were made, indicating that while the school is popular, not every family who wants a place gets one. The headteacher is Paul Whaling, and the school has no religious character. It does not offer nursery provision or a sixth form, focusing solely on the 5–11 age range.
Key Details
The full report on this school
The inspection in plain English, admissions context, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.
- Ofsted inspection in plain EnglishStrengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
- Parent View survey resultsWhat parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
- Where Ofsted and parents disagreeGaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
- Admissions & catchmentAdmission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
- Nearby schools comparedBackup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
- Attendance & behaviour dataPersistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
4 Oct 2022Source: Ofsted, 21 Nov 2022. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
Facilities
9Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
9Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
School day
Teaching hours
08:50 – 15:20
Source: castertonprimaryacademy.co.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
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