The Grange School, Castleford
The Grange School is a special school for pupils aged 5 to 14 in Castleford.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Grange School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to The Grange School are Kingsland Primary School (3.6 miles, Outstanding); Hammer Lane Academy (4 miles); High Well School (4.3 miles, Good); and Balance Alternative Provision (4.4 miles, Good).
Kingsland Primary SchoolHammer Lane AcademyHigh Well SchoolBalance Alternative Provision
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at The Grange School has an education, health and care plan (25 of 25 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Castleford Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Three Lane Ends Academy (at), 40 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The Grange School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 234 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Wakefield (130), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The Grange School provides specialist support for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs in a caring environment. The new premises represent a significant improvement, offering more space, better facilities including a library and professional catering kitchen, and outdoor areas designed to support learning. The school maintains high staff-to-pupil ratios and has carefully planned its expansion to ensure quality provision continues.
Key Strengths
- Thorough safeguarding systems with experienced leaders aware of their statutory responsibilities
- Well-maintained new premises with excellent facilities including library, catering kitchen, and large outdoor space
- Careful staffing plans with additional staff employed to maintain appropriate pupil-to-staff ratios
- Proactive health and safety management with regular checks and risk assessments
- Accessible building design with step-free access and facilities for pupils with differing needs
Areas for Improvement
- Minor labelling issues with some hot and cold taps requiring correction before pupils move to new site
- Some hot water outlets presenting scalding risk that need to be addressed
- Drinking water labelling to be completed with appropriate signage
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective with thorough systems for reporting concerns and leaders well-versed in statutory guidance, though the school is preparing for increased safeguarding incidents as pupil numbers grow from 16 to 40.
Extracurricular Activities
Gardening with poly tunnels
The Grange School is an independent special school for pupils aged 5-14 with social, emotional and mental health needs. The inspection assessed the school's plans to expand from 16 to 40 pupils and relocate to a new site.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with The Grange School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 9
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 7 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 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 Wakefield is 13 (the median across 157 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
63%
Available places
25 pupils
40 places
15 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Castleford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Castleford
Across Wakefield council
Places available
4,300
Applications
3,912
Got 1st preference
90.7%
Got preferred school
97.3%
All secondary applications across Wakefield council (2026/27), not just this school.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
25
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
The Grange School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
25
Total Pupils
20
Boys
5
Girls
2026 academic year
Questions parents ask about The Grange School
How many pupils go to The Grange School?
The Grange School has around 25 pupils on roll.
Does The Grange School have specialist SEN provision?
The Grange School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to The Grange School?
The Grange School is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near The Grange School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 7 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 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 Wakefield is 13 (the median across 157 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Grange School?
The Grange School is at Methley Rd, Castleford, WF10 1PN.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)