NCEA Castle School
Academy Road, Ashington, NE63 9FZOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
NCEA Castle School is a special school in Ashington for ages 2 to 19. It is one of the 171 schools in Northumberland. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in November 2022.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 8 November 2022, report published 19 January 2023
- Overall effectiveness
- Good
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years provision
- Good
- Sixth form provision
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 8 November 2022
NCEA Castle School is a warm and welcoming place. All pupils are encouraged to achieve their best and 'shine their light'. Pupils enjoy coming to school and are proud of how well they do. Pupils feel safe at NCEA Castle School. They say that bullying rarely happens. They know that they can let adults know if this were to happen and it would be sorted out. Relationships between pupils, and with the adults working alongside them, are extremely positive and respectful. The school is highly inclusive. The core values of love, inclusivity, goodness, hope and truth are shared by pupils and staff alike. Pupils learn how to be a good friend and about being kind to others. They learn how to make choices and be independent. Leaders, trustees and governors are ambitious for all pupils to achieve their best. Pupils' well-being and development are at the heart of the school. Leaders ensure that all pupils are provided with the means to communicate their individual needs and wants. All staff share leaders' ambitions for pupils to be the best they can be. Teachers and their class teams, from early years through to sixth form, are proud of the difference they make to pupils' lives.
What the school should improve
- Processes for quality assurance of the curriculum are not well embedded. As a result, subject leaders do not yet have a clear enough understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the curriculum in their subject areas. Leaders should ensure that there are robust systems to check that the curriculum is securely embedded and implemented as planned.
- While pupils' well-being and development are at the heart of the school, the personal development programme does not explicitly outline a breadth of wider opportunities for pupils. This means that pupils do not learn enough about fundamental British values. Leaders need to refine the personal development programme so that pupils experience a wide range of opportunities and are fully prepared for life in modern Britain.
Exam results
SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25
7 pupils took the tests
Pupil numbers and mix
158 pupils on roll, with places for 150
Schools near NCEA Castle School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rosewood Independent School | 1 mile | Ofsted: Good | Not published |
| Gust Independent School | 1 mile | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 5.4 |
| Cleaswell Hill School | 2 miles | Ofsted: Outstanding | Attainment 8: 2.5 |
| The Dales School | 3 miles | Ofsted: Outstanding | 0% met the expected standard |
| Gilbert Ward Academy | 4 miles | Report card: Needs attention to expected standard | Not published |
School details
- School type
- Academy special converter
- Sector
- Academy
- Trust
- NORTHUMBERLAND CHURCH OF ENGLAND ACADEMY TRUST
- Age range
- 2 to 19
- Gender
- Mixed
- Headteacher
- Mrs Sonia Wilkinson
- Phone
- 01670844322
- Address
- Academy Road, Ashington, NE63 9FZ
- Local authority
- Northumberland
- URN
- 145957
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.