Castle EAST School is a special free school in Bungay, Suffolk, for children and young people aged 9 to 16. It supports autism.
- Ages 9–16
- 130 pupils
- Ofsted: Outstanding
School details
- Type
- Special free school
- Ages
- 9 to 16
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 130 (places for 120)
- Headteacher
- Mrs Anna Mears
- Part of
- East Anglian Schools Trust LTD
- Opened
- 1 September 2021
- Free school meals
- 39.2% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Suffolk
- School reference (URN)
- 148541
Needs it supports
1 need: autism
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
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 Suffolk 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 Outstanding, March 2024
Rated Outstanding at its last graded inspection, in March 2024.
- Quality of educationOutstanding
- Behaviour and attitudesOutstanding
- Personal developmentOutstanding
- Leadership and managementOutstanding
- SafeguardingEffective
Contact and getting there
Hillside Road East, Bungay, NR35 1JS
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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
- Bungay Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted report card (2026) 0.5 miles
- Bungay High School Mainstream + base · Ages 11–18 · Ofsted report card (2026) 0.6 miles
- Turnstone House School Independent · Ages 8–19 · Ofsted: Outstanding 3.1 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 EAST School
How do I get a place at Castle EAST 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 Castle EAST School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Castle EAST School support?
Autism. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Castle EAST School take?
Aged 9 to 16, boys and girls.
What is Castle EAST School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in March 2024 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 Castle EAST School?
Hillside Road East, Bungay, NR35 1JS, 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.