Castle Manor Academy Review 2026: A small secondary with a strong inclusion offer and an emphasis on working hard and being kind

The curriculum narrative is one of breadth at Key Stage 3, followed by a more tailored Key Stage 4 shaped by options and readiness. In the lower school, the published curriculum model indicates that all students study a broad set of subjects, with some practical and creative subjects rotating through the year. That structure tends to suit students who benefit from variety before making choices.

External evaluation highlights teachers’ subject knowledge and training, plus the importance of clarity in explanations. The area flagged for improvement is consistent checking for misconceptions and ensuring expectations of written work are consistently high across subjects. For families, the implication is simple: if your child needs frequent, in-lesson feedback to stay on track, you should ask how the school is tightening assessment routines and what that looks like in everyday classroom practice.

Reading is described as a priority, with targeted support for students who fall behind. In a secondary setting, that focus can make a material difference to access across the curriculum, particularly for students entering Year 7 with weaker literacy.

As an 11–16 school, the main transition point is post-16 study elsewhere. The careers programme is described as highly effective, with regular careers advice and additional support for applications, including personal statements and college applications.

For students, this typically translates into clearer route-planning from Year 9 onward, and more structured support for those who are unsure whether a sixth form, a further education college, or a technical route is the right fit. The school also references leadership and life skills experiences that feed into employability and post-16 readiness, including The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and wider projects that build confidence and responsibility.

Year 7 places are coordinated through Suffolk County Council rather than direct allocation by the school. The school’s published admission number is 150 for Year 7.

The admissions policy sets out a defined priority admission area linked to named partner feeder primary schools (its “Family of Schools”), then applies sibling and distance-based tie-breaks where needed. If oversubscription occurs within categories, distance is measured in a straight line, and random allocation can be used as a final tie-break where applications are indistinguishable by distance.

Recent local authority data suggests demand has been manageable in the normal round. For the 2025/26 school year, Suffolk’s published figures show 144 on-time applications for 150 places, with all on-time applicants offered a place.

For September 2026 entry, Suffolk’s normal round opened on 12 September 2025 and the on-time closing date was 31 October 2025. National Offer Day for secondary places was 02 March 2026.

Parents who are distance-sensitive should use FindMySchool’s Map Search to check their measured proximity and understand how distance criteria operate in practice, particularly if you are balancing this school against alternatives with different catchment logic.

The January 2025 Ofsted report (inspection December 2024) concluded the school had taken effective action to maintain standards and that safeguarding arrangements were effective.

Beyond safeguarding, the pastoral picture is strongly linked to relationships and day-to-day routines. Behaviour is described as orderly in lessons and around the site when expectations are applied consistently, with lunch described as calm and social. Low suspension levels are highlighted, which often indicates that behaviour systems are predictable and that early intervention is working for many students.

The school also signals targeted wellbeing support through its library and enhancement offer, including small-group cognitive behavioural therapy interventions and one-to-one wellbeing support delivered with a Mental Health and Wellbeing Team. For families where anxiety, friendship challenges, or attendance wobble are part of the picture, it is worth asking how referrals work and what the day-to-day support looks like for students who need it.

Inclusion and SEND

A distinctive feature is The Arch, described as a specialist Cognition and Learning Hub supporting up to 24 pupils aged 11–16 with SEND. The model blends a personalised curriculum with some mainstream integration where appropriate, plus targeted intervention linked to Education, Health and Care Plan outcomes.

For families considering specialist support, this can be a practical advantage. It suggests the school is building internal capacity for a cohort who might otherwise struggle in a fully mainstream timetable, while still keeping inclusion as a stated goal.

A school’s enrichment offer is often where culture becomes real, because students choose to be there. Here, the enrichment picture has several defined strands.

First, the library-based enhancement programme names specific clubs that will appeal to a wide mix of students: Film Club, Dungeons and Dragons Club, and an LGBT+ Support Group, alongside Student Parliament. A daily Homework Club runs after school until 4pm, which is a practical support for families who want structured study time and a quieter routine.

Second, leadership and personal development opportunities are emphasised. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is offered, with up to 28 Year 9 and Year 10 students enrolled annually in the Bronze programme. The published description includes structured expedition training and an explicit aim to remove barriers to participation, including financial support for some students and kit lending.

Third, sport is clearly organised and competitive. The school lists a broad range of teams and activities, and also publishes specific competitive outcomes, including county-level wins and finalists across basketball, rugby, volleyball, athletics and cricket. For students who commit well to sport, that combination of variety and competitive opportunity can be motivating, and it often supports attendance and belonging.

Music is also available in a practical, instrument-by-instrument way. The school lists instrumental tuition across strings, woodwind, guitars, percussion and vocals, delivered during the school day in 20-minute lessons, with a stated cost of £100 per term.

The school day begins with muster at 8.40am, with the compulsory day ending at 3.20pm. Enrichment is timetabled from 3.20pm to 4.00pm. The school states that it is open for a total of 33 hours and 20 minutes in a typical week, measured from morning registration to the end of the compulsory day.

As a secondary school, wraparound care is not typically offered in the same way as primary breakfast and after-school clubs. Here, the published structure is enrichment and homework provision after school, rather than childcare-style wraparound.

Travel-wise, the school indicates ample parking through its facilities information, which is relevant for pick-up, events and fixtures. For families using dedicated school travel, Suffolk’s school travel timetable information includes services that reference the school on certain routes serving the Haverhill area.

• Academic outcomes are a work in progress. The school’s FindMySchool GCSE ranking sits below England average overall, and Progress 8 is -0.13, which points to slightly below average progress. Families prioritising high academic stretch should probe subject-by-subject support, especially at Key Stage 4.

• Consistency of checking and written expectations matters. External evaluation highlights that assessment for misconceptions and expectations of written work are not yet uniformly strong across subjects. If your child needs very structured feedback, ask how consistency is being secured department-by-department.

• EBacc outcomes look weak in the available data. If you want a languages-and-humanities-heavy route, ask about option guidance, how students are supported to sustain a language, and what the school does to keep ambition high for a broad Key Stage 4 curriculum.

• Admissions are clear, but do not assume “local” guarantees a place. The school uses a priority admission area linked to feeder primaries, then distance tie-breaks. Families outside those feeder routes should read the oversubscription criteria carefully and consider realistic alternatives in parallel.

This is a community-focused 11–16 school with a clear cultural message, a notable inclusion hub in The Arch, and a practical enrichment offer that includes specific clubs, structured leadership opportunities, and competitive sport. The strongest fit is for families who value a smaller secondary feel, want visible wellbeing and inclusion structures, and are looking for a school that supports post-16 planning with a clear careers programme.

Academic performance indicators suggest improvement priorities remain real, so the best approach is to match the school’s pastoral strengths and enrichment breadth against your child’s learning needs, then use open visits and subject conversations to test whether classroom consistency is secure for the next two years.