The Castle School is a not applicable school in Newbury, serving pupils aged 3 to 19. The school is a community special school 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. The school also offers a sixth form, allowing students to continue into post-16 education on site.
The Castle School currently has around 199 pupils on roll, which is about 94% of its capacity. The gender split is relatively balanced, with approximately 71.4% boys and 28.6% girls. Around 44.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which gives an indication of the socio-economic mix. Pupil backgrounds are varied across different backgrounds and needs.
Overall absence at the school is 11.7%. Persistent absence is recorded at 37.2%.
The majority of pupils are from a white british background (82.9%).
At its latest Ofsted inspection, the school was rated Outstanding. This indicates exceptional performance across all areas. Safeguarding was judged to be effective, which is a key consideration for many parents.
Around 93% of pupils move on to sustained destinations after Year 11. Most continue into education (86%) , including 0% who stay in school sixth forms and 7% progressing to further education , while 0% enter apprenticeships .
| Address: | Love Lane, Newbury, RG14 2JG |
| Website: | www.thecastleschoolnewbury.org.uk |
| Telephone: | 0163542976 |
| School Type: | Community special school |
| Education phase: | Not applicable |
| Local authority: | West Berkshire |
| Headteacher / Principal: | Mr Jon Hewitt |
| Religious character: | Does not apply |
| Admissions policy: | Not applicable |
| Unique reference: | 110182 |
Ofsted inspection date: 07/10/2014
Safeguarding is effective
| Age Range: | 3 - 19 |
| Gender: | Mixed |
| School Capacity: | 212 |
| Number of Pupils: | 199 |
| Number of Boys: | 142 |
| Number of Girls: | 57 |
| School | England state-funded schools: | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall absence: | 11.7% | 4% |
| Persistent absence: | 37.2% | 8.2% |
| White British | 82.90% | 165 |
| Other White | 5.50% | 11 |
| Indian | 3.50% | 7 |
| White and Asian | 2.00% | 4 |
| Gypsy/Roma | 1.00% | 2 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 1.00% | 2 |
| African | 1.00% | 2 |
| Irish Traveller (Traveller of Irish heritage) | 0.50% | 1 |
| White and Black African | 0.50% | 1 |
| Other Mixed | 0.50% | 1 |
| Bangladeshi | 0.50% | 1 |
| Other Asian | 0.50% | 1 |
| Unclassified | 0.50% | 1 |
| Irish | 0.00% | 0 |
| Pakistani | 0.00% | 0 |
| Chinese | 0.00% | 0 |
| Caribbean | 0.00% | 0 |
| Other Black | 0.00% | 0 |
| Other (any other ethnic group) | 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victoria Park Nursery School & Family Hub Victoria Park , Parkway RG14 1EH | 4out of 4 | 1,492 yd | Local authority nursery school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School Love Lane , Donnington RG14 2JG | - not rated | 278 yd | Voluntary controlled school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Winchcombe Nursery and Infant School Maple Crescent , Shaw Estate RG14 1LN | - not rated | 960 yd | Community school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| The Winchcombe School Maple Crescent , Shaw RG14 1LN | 3out of 4 | 960 yd | Community school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Winchcombe Junior School Maple Crescent , RG14 1LN | - not rated | 1,078 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Robert Sandilands Primary School and Nursery Digby Road , Speen RG14 1TS | 3out of 4 | 1,078 yd | Community school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shaw House School Church Road , Shaw RG14 2DU | - not rated | 870 yd | Community school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Trinity School Love Lane , Shaw RG14 2DU | 3out of 4 | 870 yd | Academy converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Trinity School Love Lane , Shaw RG14 2DU | - not rated | 870 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| The Turnpike School Gaywood Drive , RG14 2PS | - not rated | 2,046 yd | Foundation school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| St Bartholomew's School Andover Road , RG14 6JP | - not rated | 2,917 yd | Foundation school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Castle School Love Lane , Donnington RG14 2JG | 4out of 4 | 0 yd | Community special school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| iCollege Alternative Provision Independence, Richmond House , Bath Road RG14 1QY | 3out of 4 | 1,454 yd | Pupil referral unit | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Northcroft Vocational School Temperance Hall, Northcroft Lane , RG14 1BU | - not rated | 1,742 yd | Other independent special school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| The Quay Rapid Response and Home Education The Riverside Community Centre , Rosemoor Gardens RG14 2FG | - not rated | 2,290 yd | Pupil referral unit | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Newbury Hall School Enborne Road , RG14 6AD | - not rated | 2,363 yd | Other independent school | No | Mixed | More About School |
School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.