Castle Wood Special School

Castle Wood Special School, which has previously been rated as outstanding, is now evaluated as requiring improvement in overall effectiveness and several key areas of education. While pupils are well cared for and experience a supportive environment, concerns have been raised regarding the clarity and ambition of the curriculum, particularly in subjects like mathematics and science. The school is commendable in its personal development and behavior management, yet needs to address inconsistencies in planning and delivering effective communication strategies and phonics teaching to enhance pupil learning and achievement.

Strengths

• Pupils are well cared for and happy at school.
• Staff have a secure understanding of pupils' barriers to learning.
• The school provides broad and engaging personal development opportunities.
• Pupils are mostly calm and supported effectively in managing their anxiety.

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum planning and sequencing are insufficient in several subjects.
• Inconsistency in the implementation of agreed communication strategies.
• Variable delivery of the phonics program across classrooms.
• Lack of accurate self-evaluation leading to slow improvements.

In 2024–25 pupils at Castle Wood Special School attended 87.9% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 41.1% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 35.3%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 2.4% of pupils at Castle Wood Special School were suspended at least once (nationally 5.1%). One pupil was permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Castle Wood Special School had 9.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 34.3% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.5%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26 Castle Wood Special School had 194 pupils, 100.0% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 99.5%).

It says it provides for: severe learning difficulty; profound and multiple learning difficulty; speech, language and communication needs; physical disability; autistic spectrum disorder.

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded special school schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Castle Wood Special School received £26,950 and spent £26,270 for each of its 194 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £879,000 (£4,531 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

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What is Castle Wood Special School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Castle Wood Special School is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in September 2024.

When was Castle Wood Special School last inspected by Ofsted?

Castle Wood Special School was last inspected in September 2024.

How many pupils does Castle Wood Special School have?

Castle Wood Special School has 194 pupils on roll.

What age range does Castle Wood Special School cover?

Castle Wood Special School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Castle Wood Special School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 0% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Castle Wood Special School?

Castle Wood Special School is at 50 Deedmore Road, Coventry, West Midlands, CV2 1FN.