The Community College, Bishop's Castle, Bishops Castle
The Community College, Bishop's Castle is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Bishops Castle. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 3rd-highest of the 20 schools in Shropshire with published results, and 1,734th of 3,298 across England. It was 87% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
- Progress (2024)
- Below average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Shropshire (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Community College, Bishop's Castle in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at The Community College, Bishop's Castle averaged an Attainment 8 score of 45.5, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 41.7 in Shropshire and 47 across England.
41% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 35% in Shropshire and 47% in England.
That is up from 43.4 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.22: 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 32, against 47.4 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 15.4 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 21 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Geography and History.
Getting a place at The Community College, Bishop's Castle
For September 2026 entry, 44 families put The Community College, Bishop's Castle as their first choice and 66 named it as one of their preferences, for 45 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at The Community College, Bishop's Castle
Where pupils go next
Of the 104 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 69% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 27% to a further education college, 6% to an apprenticeship and 6% into work.
Who goes there
12.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 2.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 40 pupils (7.9%) received SEN support and 8 (1.6%) 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 specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of The Community College, Bishop's Castle.
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bus Car Park (adjacent), 70 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, The Community College, Bishop's Castle issued 70 suspensions, 13.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from April 2015, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its April 2015 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
12.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has declined from 0.17 to -0.22 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has declined from 47.5 to 45.5 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has declined from 48% to 41% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 45.5 | 41.1% |
| Disadvantaged(13) | - | 32.0 | 0% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(94) | - | 47.4 | 46.8% |
| Boys(55) | - | 43.0 | 34.5% |
| Girls(52) | - | 48.2 | 48.1% |
Show more breakdowns (1)
| Non mobile(106) | - | 45.4 | 40.6% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 1 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 104 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
1
Permanent exclusions
0.19%
Exclusion rate
70
Suspensions
13.31%
Suspension rate
38 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 526 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Keep up with The Community College, Bishop's Castle
Term dates
The Community College, Bishop's Castle is a foundation school, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Shropshire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Community College, Bishop's Castle from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Community College, Bishop's Castle is in Shropshire; for families living there:
Apply to Shropshire for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
The typical figure for schools in Shropshire is 1 (the median across 187 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
Your chances of a place at The Community College, Bishop's Castle
Will you get a place at The Community College, Bishop's Castle? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against The Community College, Bishop's Castle's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for The Community College, Bishop's Castle:
- The straight-line distance from your home to The Community College, Bishop's Castle.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Shropshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at The Community College, Bishop's Castle for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Shropshire got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
87%
Available places
524 pupils
604 places
80 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Bishops Castle
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Bishops Castle
Across Shropshire council
Places available
3,213
Applications
2,845
Got 1st preference
91.0%
Got preferred school
98.7%
All secondary applications across Shropshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(10)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
40
SEN Support
8
EHC Plans
9.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
507
Total Pupils
259
Boys
248
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
32
Teachers
15.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£55,616
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,940
Per pupil
£3794k
Total funding
£72k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.9%
Overall absence
25.6%
Persistent absence
542
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
The Community College, Bishop's Castle
Questions parents ask about The Community College, Bishop's Castle
What are GCSE results like at The Community College, Bishop's Castle?
In the 2026 results, pupils at The Community College, Bishop's Castle achieved an Attainment 8 score of 45.5. 41% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is The Community College, Bishop's Castle's Ofsted rating?
The Community College, Bishop's Castle's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in April 2015, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for The Community College, Bishop's Castle?
No fixed boundary. When The Community College, Bishop's Castle is oversubscribed, Shropshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at The Community College, Bishop's Castle?
The Community College, Bishop's Castle was not full in 2025: it ran at 87% of its 604 places.
How big are the classes at The Community College, Bishop's Castle?
Classes at The Community College, Bishop's Castle average 22.6 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to The Community College, Bishop's Castle?
The Community College, Bishop's Castle has around 507 pupils on roll. 13% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at The Community College, Bishop's Castle?
8.9% of sessions were missed at The Community College, Bishop's Castle in 2024/25. 25.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Community College, Bishop's Castle?
Apply through Shropshire's coordinated admissions process, naming The Community College, Bishop's Castle on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near The Community College, Bishop's Castle?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in Shropshire is 1 (the median across 187 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Community College, Bishop's Castle?
The Community College, Bishop's Castle is at Brampton Road, Bishops Castle, Shropshire, SY9 5AY.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)