Castlewood School, Birmingham

Requires Improvement
Special
Academy special sponsor led
Mixed
Ages 416

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Joanne Roberts
Pupils:97 / 96 capacity
LA:Solihull
Phone:01217489760
Address:Lanchester Way, Castle Bromwich, Birmingham, B36 9LF
Trust:MANOR HALL ACADEMY TRUST
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open
Opened:16 December 2014

Ofsted Rating

Requires Improvement

Overall

URN:141171
UKPRN:10046870
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Castlewood excels at helping pupils who have struggled in education find confidence and success. The school is particularly strong in reading instruction, and staff genuinely know each child well, responding thoughtfully to their individual needs. Parents consistently praise how the school supports their children to feel safe, understood and able to learn.

Key Strengths

  • Strong focus on reading with daily sessions and targeted interventions helping previously struggling readers develop fluency and confidence
  • Inclusive approach to SEND and disadvantaged pupils, with targeted support ensuring they achieve at similar levels to peers
  • Well-established pastoral care and emotional regulation support helping pupils feel safe and ready to learn
  • Growing curriculum offer with increasing qualifications across a wider range of subjects
  • Positive relationships between staff and pupils, with calm, well-managed behaviour

Areas for Improvement

  • Assessment not used precisely enough to identify what pupils know and can do
  • Teaching adaptations not consistently tailored to meet individual learning needs across all lessons
  • Attendance remains lower than expected for some pupils, requiring sustained improvement
  • Personal, social, health and economic education curriculum not delivered with consistent depth
  • Systems for tracking what pupils know and remember still developing

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met - the school has an open, positive culture of safeguarding where all legal requirements are fulfilled and pupils feel safe.

Extracurricular Activities

Mindful Monday, Talk Tuesday, Wellbeing Wednesday, Thrifty Thursday, Fact Friday, trips, outdoor activities

Castlewood School is a special school that provides strong support for pupils with disrupted educational backgrounds and complex needs. The school has established an inclusive, caring environment where pupils make appropriate progress and develop confidence in their learning.

At a Glance

73.2%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health

SEN Provision

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
ReadingMaths+25ppWriting

Reading has remained stable at around 13%. Maths has improved from 0% to 25%. Writing has remained stable at around 0%.

Class Sizes

0.0

Avg class size

0

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

Plank Lane (Adj)
1.0km · 17 min walk
Water Orton Railway Station (Opp)
1.3km · 21 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

101%

Over capacity

97 pupils

96 capacity

1 places over capacity

Area Demand Pressure - Birmingham

Low pressure
New homes approved:19,703
Projected new pupils:3,547

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Birmingham

Admissions Demand - Solihull

Low demand0.83x oversubscription

Places available

3,336

Applications

2,755

Got 1st preference

78.4%

Got preferred school

96.8%

Secondary admissions across Solihull (2025/26)

Inspection History(106)

Date not published by Ofsted
Requires Improvement
Date not published by Ofsted
Requires Improvement
Date not published by Ofsted
Requires Improvement

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

20.68203%

Overall absence

53.46535%

Persistent absence

101

Enrolments

Authorised10.95048%
Unauthorised9.73155%
Persistent (10%+)53.46535%
Severe (50%+)12.87129%

Absence trend

9.99564%
18/19
15.77076%
20/21
16.40927%
21/22
12.35986%
22/23
19.32886%
23/24
20.68203%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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