The Castle School, based in Taunton, provides secondary education, serving pupils aged 11 to 19. The school is a academy converter and operates as a mixed school. It follows a non-selective 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 1202 pupils on roll, which is about 101% of its capacity. The gender split is relatively balanced, with approximately 49.3% boys and 50.7% girls. Around 12.4% 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 6.7%. Persistent absence is recorded at 16%.
The majority of pupils are from a white british background (80.7%).
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 96% of pupils move on to sustained destinations after Year 11. Most continue into education (90%) , including 1% who stay in school sixth forms and 31% progressing to further education , while 2% enter apprenticeships .
| Address: | Wellington Road, Taunton, TA1 5AU |
| Website: | http://www.castleschool.co.uk/ |
| Telephone: | 01823274073 |
| School Type: | Academy converter |
| Education phase: | Secondary |
| Local authority: | Somerset |
| Headteacher / Principal: | Mr James Lamb |
| Religious character: | Does not apply |
| Admissions policy: | Non-selective |
| Unique reference: | 136916 |
Ofsted inspection date: 03/10/2023
Safeguarding is effective
| Age Range: | 11 - 19 |
| Gender: | Mixed |
| School Capacity: | 1188 |
| Number of Pupils: | 1202 |
| Number of Boys: | 592 |
| Number of Girls: | 610 |
| School | England state-funded schools: | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall absence: | 6.7% | 4% |
| Persistent absence: | 16% | 8.2% |
| White British | 80.70% | 970 |
| Indian | 4.80% | 58 |
| Other White | 4.60% | 55 |
| African | 2.50% | 30 |
| Other Asian | 2.20% | 26 |
| White and Asian | 1.20% | 15 |
| Other Mixed | 1.00% | 12 |
| White and Black African | 0.60% | 7 |
| Other (any other ethnic group) | 0.50% | 6 |
| Unclassified | 0.40% | 5 |
| Chinese | 0.40% | 5 |
| Bangladeshi | 0.40% | 5 |
| Pakistani | 0.20% | 3 |
| Irish | 0.10% | 1 |
| Caribbean | 0.10% | 1 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 0.10% | 1 |
| Other Black | 0.10% | 1 |
| Gypsy/Roma | 0.10% | 1 |
| Irish Traveller (Traveller of Irish heritage) | 0.00% | 0 |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parkfield Primary School Parkfield Road , TA1 4RT | 3out of 4 | 730 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| North Town Academy Staplegrove Road , TA1 1DF | 3out of 4 | 782 yd | Academy converter | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| North Town Community Primary School Staplegrove Road , TA1 1DF | - not rated | 782 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| St John's CofE Primary School Tangier , TA1 4AY | - not rated | 810 yd | Voluntary aided school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Bishops Hull Primary School Bishops Hull Hill , Bishops Hull TA1 5EB | - not rated | 1,203 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Castle School Wellington Road , TA1 5AU | - not rated | 0 yd | Community school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| The Castle School Wellington Road , TA1 5AU | 4out of 4 | 0 yd | Academy converter | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| The St Augustine of Canterbury School Lyngford Road , TA2 7EF | - not rated | 2,247 yd | Voluntary aided school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Bishop Fox's School Bishop Fox Drive , TA1 3HQ | 3out of 4 | 2,321 yd | Academy converter | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Bishop Fox's Community School Bishop Fox Drive , TA1 3HQ | - not rated | 2,321 yd | Community school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Somerset College of Arts and Technology Wellington Road , TA1 5AX | - not rated | 119 yd | Further education | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Richard Huish College South Road , TA1 3DZ | - not rated | 2,236 yd | Further education | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Richard Huish College South Road , TA1 3DZ | - not rated | 2,236 yd | Academy 16-19 converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taunton Centre Co Somerset College, Wellington Road , TA1 5AX | - not rated | 119 yd | Pupil referral unit | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| The Beehive Pre-Preparatory School 68 Wellington Road , TA1 5AP | - not rated | 260 yd | Other independent school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Musgrove Park Hospital Education Childrens Education Unit , Musgrove Park Hospital TA1 5DA | - not rated | 622 yd | Pupil referral unit | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Somerset Medical Tuition Service Social Inclusion and Access , County Hall TA1 4DY | - not rated | 951 yd | Pupil referral unit | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Taunton School Staplegrove Road , TA2 6AD | - not rated | 1,171 yd | Other independent school | No | Mixed | More About School |
School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.