NCEA Castle School is a special academy in Ashington, Northumberland, for children and young people aged 2 to 19. It supports autism, severe learning and PMLD.
- Ages 2–19
- 158 pupils
- Ofsted: Good
School details
- Type
- Special academy
- Ages
- 2 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 158 (places for 150)
- Headteacher
- Mrs Sonia Wilkinson
- Part of
- Northumberland Church of England Academy Trust
- Opened
- 1 July 2018
- Free school meals
- 57.1% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Northumberland
- School reference (URN)
- 145957
Needs it supports
3 needs: autism, severe learning and 1 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
Cognition and learning
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in Northumberland (6)
- Profound and multiple learning difficulties Other schools for this in Northumberland (3)
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 Northumberland 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
Rated Good, November 2022
Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in November 2022.
- Quality of educationGood
- Behaviour and attitudesGood
- Personal developmentGood
- Leadership and managementGood
- Early yearsGood
- Sixth formGood
- SafeguardingEffective
Contact and getting there
Academy Road, Ashington, NE63 9FZ
Loading the map…
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
- Gust Independent School Independent · Ages 6–17 · Ofsted: Good 1.3 miles
- Cambois Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 2–11 · Ofsted: Good 2.1 miles
- Cleaswell Hill School Special school · Ages 2–19 · Ofsted: Outstanding 2.4 miles
All SEND schools in Northumberland
By need in Northumberland: Autism (15) · SEMH (10) · Speech and language (9) · Moderate learning (9) · Severe learning (7) · Hearing (6) · PMLD (4) · Dyslexia and SpLD (4) · Vision (4) · Multi-sensory (3) · Physical (3)
Questions about NCEA Castle School
How do I get a place at NCEA Castle 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 NCEA Castle School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does NCEA Castle School support?
Autism, severe learning difficulty and profound and multiple learning difficulties. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does NCEA Castle School take?
Aged 2 to 19, boys and girls.
What is NCEA Castle School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in November 2022 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 NCEA Castle School?
Academy Road, Ashington, NE63 9FZ, in Northumberland.
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.