Castledon School is a special academy in Wickford, Essex, for children and young people aged 5 to 19. It supports autism, moderate learning and severe learning.
- Ages 5–19
- 239 pupils
School details
- Type
- Special academy
- Ages
- 5 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 239 (places for 290)
- Headteacher
- Mr Simon Holliday (Headteacher)
- Part of
- Zenith Multi Academy Trust
- Opened
- 1 March 2015
- Free school meals
- 44.6% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Essex
- School reference (URN)
- 141765
Needs it supports
3 needs: autism, moderate learning and 1 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
Cognition and learning
- Moderate learning difficulty Other schools for this in Essex (9)
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in Essex (12)
How to get a place
4 steps, starting with an EHC plan
- An EHC plan
Places at schools like this usually come through 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 questions
See whether the school feels right and whether it can meet your child’s needs. Our list of questions below can help.
- Ask for the school to be named
Tell the council that looks after the plan (often Essex council) that this is the school you want, 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. Free home-to-school transport is often part of the arrangement.
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
Graded by area, July 2025; school remains Good (Improving) - S5 Next (April 2024)
Inspected in July 2025. Inspections from September 2024 to November 2025 graded each area but gave no overall grade.
- Quality of educationOutstanding
- Behaviour and attitudesOutstanding
- Personal developmentOutstanding
- Leadership and managementOutstanding
- Sixth formOutstanding
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: School remains Good (Improving) - S5 Next (ungraded inspection, April 2024).
Contact and getting there
Bromfords Drive, Wickford, SS12 0PW
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
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The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- Harris Academy Wickford Mainstream + base · Ages 11–18 0.2 miles
- Children's Support Service Alternative provision · Ages 5–16 · Ofsted: Good 1.3 miles
- The Bridge Pioneer Special school · Ages 3–19 · Ofsted: Outstanding 2.5 miles
By need in Essex: Autism (18) · Severe learning (13) · Moderate learning (10) · Hearing (10) · Speech and language (9) · PMLD (8) · SEMH (7) · Dyslexia and SpLD (3) · Vision (3) · Multi-sensory (2)
Questions about Castledon School
How do I get a place at Castledon School?
There’s no catchment area or application round. Places usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan: ask the council that looks after the plan to consult Castledon School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Castledon School support?
Autism, 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 Castledon School take?
Aged 5 to 19, boys and girls.
What is Castledon School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in July 2025 at its last graded inspection. Newer inspections no longer give a single overall grade, so read the latest report for the full picture.
Where is Castledon School?
Bromfords Drive, Wickford, SS12 0PW, in Essex.
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.