The Castle Rock School, Coalville

Ofsted's report card from its 13 January 2026 inspection grades The Castle Rock School on 7 areas: 1 strong standard and 6 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Leadership and governance - Strong standard. "The school has been on a rapid journey of improvement since it joined the Lionheart Educational Trust."

Achievement - Expected standard. "As pupils progress through the school, they develop the knowledge and skills they need to be successful across the subjects they study."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders work closely with families to remove any barriers to attendance."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have implemented an ambitious, broad and balanced curriculum."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Staff identify the needs of disadvantaged pupils quickly and accurately."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have constructed a well-planned, age-appropriate personal development programme."

Post 16 provision - Expected standard. "The curriculum is coherently planned and sequenced so that knowledge builds over time."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should continue to embed their plans to share good practice from subject areas and ensure that high-quality teaching across all subjects and in all year groups leads to increasing pupil achievement"; "Leaders should strengthen the personal development offer by ensuring that all pupils, including students in the sixth form, deepen their understanding of fundamental British values".

In 2026, pupils at The Castle Rock School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 39.9, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.8 in Leicestershire and 47 across England.

28% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 47% in Leicestershire and 47% in England.

That is down from 42.5 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.38: pupils made below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 30.9, against 43 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 12.1 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 27 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Geography and History.

For September 2026 entry, 133 families put The Castle Rock School as their first choice and 283 named it as one of their preferences, for 210 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to The Castle Rock School are The Newbridge School (1.9 miles, Good, Attainment 8 38.8); South Charnwood High School (3.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 49.5); Iveshead School (3.6 miles, Attainment 8 44.2); and Ibstock School (4.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 37.3).

The Castle Rock School's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.

The Castle Rock School is one of 17 schools run by Lionheart Educational Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 48.5 in 2024/25.

161 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about The Castle Rock School (as of April 2026): 64% would recommend the school, 63% say their child is happy there and 48% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (70%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (48%).

Of the 186 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 86% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 63% to a further education college, 3% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

Of the 71 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 41% went on to university or other higher education, 14% to apprenticeships and 23% into work. 8% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

8.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 182 pupils (17.2%) received SEN support and 26 (2.5%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is a moderate learning difficulty.

There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of The Castle Rock School.

2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Oakham Drive (adjacent), 350 metres away.

In 2024/25, The Castle Rock School issued 294 suspensions, 26 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 3 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to The Castle Rock School are Warren Hills Community Primary School (0.1 miles), Broom Leys School (1 mile), Holy Cross School A Catholic Voluntary Academy (1.6 miles) and Whitwick St John The Baptist Church of England Primary School (1.8 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.