SCHOOL OPERATIONS
An inclusive education includes everyone learning together where personal circumstances should not be a barrier to progress.
An Inclusive education includes everyone, learning together. We strive to ensure that all children have a broad, balanced and inclusive curriculum.
We are committed to inclusion and maintain and extend our schools culture and practices of inclusion to every pupil. We foster a culture of community, belonging, self-confidence and new opportunities to all learners, taking into account their individual needs and experiences whilst providing a focused SEND learning environment.
For further information on our SEN provision please see our SEN information report which can be accessed here.
SEND
Emily Marron
Emily is the SENDCo. She is a trained teacher and is currently working on her National Senco Award.
Claire Cobb
Claire is our Deputy Headteacher for Inclusion. She is the Lead SENDCo in our school and holds the National Senco Award qualification.
Who do I speak to if I need advice or information about my child’s SEN or EHCP?
Emily (SENDCo) can be contacted on 01427 253117 or by email
Local offers vary from authority to authority and are there to give children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities and their families specific information about what support services the local authority think will be available in their local area. Every local authority is responsible for writing a Local Offer and making sure it is available for everyone to see.
LOCAL OFFER
To find out more about which offer is relevant to you we have added a number of key links below which we feel might be applicable to our pupils. Remember that by law Local Authorities must talk with children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities and their families to find out what sort of support and services they need.
Don’t lose your right to talk about what you need. If you would like help in understanding how such offers might apply to a place within a Castles school the be sure to get in touch. You can contact us here
We protect our pupils' health and wellbeing at all times, and make sure that they are safe and protected, both in and out of school. Our safeguarding was judged as being effective in our last Ofsted inspection.
SAFEGUARDING
Safeguarding means so much more than being compliant with published expectations. At Castles, we put the children’s happiness and their interests at the heart of all that we do.
Our children come from a wide variety of backgrounds, experiences and starting points and we seek to create a ‘level playing field’ for them to develop personal skills in a safe, secure and nurturing environment.
Our safeguarding culture is underpinned throughout our approach to learning.
Charlotte Murray
Charlotte is our designated Safeguarding Lead and Pastoral care coordinator. Charlotte works with teaching staff, parents, carers and external agencies and has experience in mainstream and special needs settings.
Report an issue or safeguarding concern?
If you'd like to report an issue, you can do so by completing the form below or by contacting us on 01427 253117. This reporting form is monitored during term time only and not 24 hours a day.
If you, or someone you know is at immediate risk of harm talk to your parents or contact the police on 999. Anything you write will be sent anonymously to us unless you add your details below. We will not be able to contact you if you do not add your details.
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Child Protection Policy
Safer Recruitment Policy
Attendance Policy
Anti-Bullying Policy
Educational Visits Policy
Induction Policy (Staff)
Internet and Email Acceptable User Policy
Online Safety Policy
Behaviour Policy
Physical Restraints Policy
Prevent Policy
Remote Learning Policy
RSE Policy
SMSC Policy
Social Media Policy
Health & Safety Manual
CCTV Policy
Full-time Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and two deputy DSLs
Support systems including School Counsellor and Wellbeing Team
CPOMS system for recording safeguarding concerns and actions
Partnership working with external agencies
Safeguarding training as part of induction of new staff
Regular safeguarding training and updates for all staff
E-SAFETY
The internet and social media are now part of our everyday lives. Such accessibility comes with its own unique risks.
Useful resources for students, parents and carers.
Technology offer schools and young people new opportunities to learn, to be entertained and to socialise. We need to support our children in safely accessing the internet, and in developing the confidence and skills to make informed decisions about what they access and what they share with others.
As the use of the internet has grown to encompass all areas of our lives, children especially need to develop the resilience to deal with potential situations that arise in order keep themselves safe, while exploring and enjoying the positive aspects of the technological world around them.
ADMISSIONS
We have 110 places for pupils aged 7 to 16 who have an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP), which identifies social, emotional and mental health difficulties as their primary need.
NEW STUDENT?
WE STILL HAVE A SMALL NUMBER OF PLACES AVAILABLE IN ALL KEY STAGES FOR BOTH THE CURRENT 2023/2024 AND UPCOMING 2024/25 ACADEMIC YEARS.
Please contact our SEND or Admissions teams to make and enquiry or referral or to discuss your local offer. Please call us in the forst instance on 01427 253117 about single or block placements.
According to the Children & Families Act 2014, parents and carers may express a preference for the school. Before the local authority can specify our school on a child’s EHCP, the Local Authority must consult with us regarding the potential admission.
They must consider whether Castles is suitable for the child given their age, ability, aptitude and SEND; they must also consider our response, parental views and whether the admission would be incompatible with the provision of efficient education at the school or the efficient use of resources.
If you are interested in sending your child to our school please approach your local authority in the first instance.
Our Admissions Policy is accessible via the POLICIES page on this website.
OUR KITCHEN.
Our school kitchen and cafeteria are a central part of our school setting and an essential part of our offer, providing breakfast, lunch and snacks both at school and for off site activities.
Proper nutrition is linked to better academic performance and behaviour and underpins our daily timetable. Eating a balanced diet can help pupils stay focused, alert, and energised, which can enhance their ability to learn and succeed in school. Healthy school meals help instil good eating habits, which can inspire lifelong positive mindsets about food.
School meals can play a crucial role in addressing food insecurity and improving the health and well-being of children who may ordinarily have limited access to healthy food. For some, school meals may be their primary source of regular, nutritious food.
Eating meals, sitting together with teaching and support staff in a nurture or cafeteria setting allows conversation, education and positive behaviours to flourish.
We promise, that when in our care, no child will be left hungry.
Please click menu oposite for our current menu choices.
National Food Standards Agency: 5 Star Food Hygiene Rating on first inspection.
TRANSPORTATION
Pupils come to us from a wide radius where public transport may not be a practical option.
Some pupils have transport provided by their local authority but most use our in-house transport service. We have a fleet of minibuses and we employ drivers, many of whom are also Teaching Assistants and therefore already know the pupils and have good relationships with them.
All our vehicles are monitored and tracked, and are equipped with CCTV.
Our home-school transport operation is professionally managed by our own Transport Co-ordinator.