NCEA Castle School, Ashington
NCEA Castle School is a special school for pupils aged 2 to 19 in Ashington, part of Northumberland Church of England Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2022.
- Ofsted
- Good (2022)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
NCEA Castle School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to NCEA Castle School are Rosewood Independent School (1.2 miles, Good); Gust Independent School (1.3 miles, Good); Cleaswell Hill School (2.3 miles, Outstanding); and The Dales School (3.4 miles, Outstanding).
Rosewood Independent SchoolGust Independent SchoolCleaswell Hill SchoolThe Dales School
The trust
NCEA Castle School is one of 9 schools run by Northumberland Church of England Academy Trust, an academy trust.
All 9 schools in Northumberland Church of England Academy Trust
What parents say
10 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about NCEA Castle School (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that pupils behave well (90%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 11 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 91% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 18% to a further education college.
Who goes there
55.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 3.2% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at NCEA Castle School has an education, health and care plan (156 of 158 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
NCEA Castle School has a resourced provision for autism, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 150 places, 160 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Ashington Rail Station, about 1.2 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Northern Social Club (outside), 290 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood NCEA Castle School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 6th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 251 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Northumberland (44), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
NCEA Castle School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Sixth Form
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its November 2022 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years, Sixth form.
At a Glance
55.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: Autism, SLD, PMLD
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
10 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with NCEA Castle School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to NCEA Castle School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. NCEA Castle School is in Northumberland; for families living there:
Apply to Northumberland for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 11
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 8
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 7 slight.
8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
4 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Northumberland is 3 (the median across 175 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
105%
Over capacity
158 pupils
150 places
8 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Ashington
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Ashington
Across Northumberland council
Places available
2,104
Applications
1,819
Got 1st preference
96.0%
Got preferred school
97.7%
All secondary applications across Northumberland council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
2
SEN Support
156
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
NCEA Castle School has a resourced provision for autism, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 150 places, 160 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
158
Total Pupils
117
Boys
41
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
20
Teachers
7.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,626
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.3%
Overall absence
25.6%
Persistent absence
125
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
NCEA Castle School
Questions parents ask about NCEA Castle School
What are SATs results like at NCEA Castle School?
Of the pupils at NCEA Castle School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is NCEA Castle School's Ofsted rating?
NCEA Castle School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2022.
What is the catchment area for NCEA Castle School?
No fixed boundary. When NCEA Castle School is oversubscribed, Northumberland allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to NCEA Castle School?
NCEA Castle School has around 158 pupils on roll. 56% are eligible for free school meals.
Does NCEA Castle School have specialist SEN provision?
NCEA Castle School has a resourced provision for autism, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 150 places, 160 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at NCEA Castle School?
8.3% of sessions were missed at NCEA Castle School in 2024/25. 25.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to NCEA Castle School?
Apply through Northumberland's coordinated admissions process, naming NCEA Castle School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near NCEA Castle School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 7 slight. 8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 4 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Northumberland is 3 (the median across 175 schools, same distance and years).
Where is NCEA Castle School?
NCEA Castle School is at Academy Road, Ashington, Northumberland, NE63 9FZ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)