ABOUT US

Castercliff is a thriving school community of around 280 pupils aged 4 to 11 years. We enjoy spacious, modern buildings with extensive playing fields.

Despite our large size, we aim to promote a caring, family atmosphere for our children, built up over the years by teachers, parents and governors working closely together

Parents are involved at all levels of school life and we are keen to increase their involvement further. If you can spare some time to help in the classroom, or with Friends of Castercliff’s fundraising events, or are interested in becoming a parent governor, please let us know. You will receive a very warm welcome.

At Castercliff we are committed to offering our pupils the highest possible quality of education and we aim to develop in our pupils the skills they will need to be able to learn, grow and make progress. The child’s access to these skills is a basic entitlement, which requires the active and mutual partnership of the whole school community.

Most children will spend seven years at Castercliff in Classes R (Reception) through to Year 6. However, as we have 11 classrooms only, it is often necessary for children to be taught in mixed-age classes. This happens in many schools in Lancashire and elsewhere, and our teachers spend a great deal of time planning together to ensure that the maximum educational benefit is gained from this situation.

The grouping and placement of individual children is carried out with great care and sensitivity to the child's emotional, social and academic needs.

The curriculum in its full sense comprises all the opportunities for learning provided by the school. It includes the formal programme of lessons, extra-curricular and out of school activities that are planned and supported by the school and the climate of relationships, attitudes, styles of behaviour and the general quality of life established in the school community as a whole.

At Castercliff, teachers deliver the Foundation Curriculum in Reception and the National Curriculum in Years 1 to 6, to meet the statutory requirements in core subjects of English, Maths and Science, and the foundation subjects of History, Geography, Music, Art, Technology and Physical Education. The Foundation Curriculum consists of six early learning goals, these being language: social and emotional development: mathematics development; knowledge and understanding of the world; physical development and creative development.

The school places a high value on the involvement of children in activities outside the school day.

We are committed to the wider curriculum through our many clubs and activities in Literature, Music, Dance, Drama and Sport. All children are encouraged to develop their self-confidence through the Christmas drama productions, and many also take part in the annual Pendle Schools' Festival.