Castle Hill Infant School is a mainstream primary school with an SEN unit in Ipswich, Suffolk, for children and young people aged 3 to 7. Its SEN unit has 24 places for speech, language and communication, autism, social, emotional and mental health and moderate learning difficulty.
- Ages 3–7
- 251 pupils
- Ofsted: Good
School details
- Type
- Mainstream school with an SEN unit
- Ages
- 3 to 7
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Specialist base
- An SEN unit, 24 places, 24 pupils
- Pupils
- 251
- Headteacher
- Mrs Jennifer Smith
- Part of
- Asset Education
- Council
- Suffolk
- School reference (URN)
- 141372
Needs its base supports
5 needs: speech and language, autism and 3 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
- Autism Other schools for this in Suffolk (18)
- Speech, language and communication Other schools for this in Suffolk (16)
Cognition and learning
- Moderate learning difficulty Other schools for this in Suffolk (18)
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in Suffolk (12)
Social, emotional and mental health
- Social, emotional and mental health Other schools for this in Suffolk (5)
How to get a place
4 steps, starting with an EHC plan
- An EHC plan
Places in an SEN unit or resourced provision are usually for children with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. If your child doesn’t have one yet, you can ask the council for an assessment yourself.
- Visit and ask about the base
See the school and its specialist base, and ask how children split their time between the base and mainstream classes.
- Ask for the school to be named
Tell the council that looks after the plan (often Suffolk council) that you want this school and its base, and ask them to consult it.
- Named in the plan
If the school is named in your child’s plan, it must admit your child. Places in the base itself are agreed between the council and the school, so ask how they decide.
Questions to ask when you visit
8 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them on the day.
Ofsted
Rated Good, January 2019; standards maintained (December 2024)
Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in January 2019. That was some time ago, so read the latest report for the full picture.
- Leadership and managementGood
- Early yearsGood
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: Standards maintained (ungraded inspection, December 2024).
Contact and getting there
Dryden Road, Ipswich, IP1 6QD
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
Email me these details
The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- Castle Hill Junior School Mainstream + base · Ages 7–11 · Ofsted: Good 0.0 miles
- Thomas Wolsey Ormiston Academy Special school · Ages 3–16 · Ofsted: Good 0.3 miles
- Westbridge Academy Alternative provision · Ages 14–16 · Ofsted: Good 1.4 miles
By need in Suffolk: Autism (19) · Moderate learning (19) · Speech and language (17) · Severe learning (13) · Hearing (8) · SEMH (6) · PMLD (6) · Dyslexia and SpLD (5) · Physical (5) · Vision (4) · Multi-sensory (3)
Questions about Castle Hill Infant School
How do I get a place in Castle Hill Infant School’s specialist base?
Places in an SEN unit or resourced provision usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan: ask the council that looks after the plan to consult the school about its base. If the school is named in the plan it must admit your child; places in the base itself are agreed between the council and the school.
What needs does Castle Hill Infant School support?
Speech, language and communication, autism, social, emotional and mental health, moderate learning difficulty and severe learning difficulty. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Castle Hill Infant School take?
Aged 3 to 7, boys and girls.
What is Castle Hill Infant School’s Ofsted rating?
There’s no overall grade to show. Read the school’s latest inspection report on the Ofsted website.
Where is Castle Hill Infant School?
Dryden Road, Ipswich, IP1 6QD, in Suffolk.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.