Hospital Medical Provision

Head of School - The Castle School Welcome

Welcome to The Castle School which is located off Cedar street in Derby City.

The Castle School serves the pupils of Derby City all of whom are struggling to attend their mainstream setting owing to their medical needs. The School is also responsible for coordinating tuition to school age pupils who are on Puffin Ward at Derby Royal Hospital for prolonged periods of time

Pupils come onto the school roll via decisions made at the Local Authority Inclusion Placement panel for those with an EHCP or via Secondary Placement Panel. Schools send referral forms and accompanying medical information for consideration before a place is offered; these pupils will become dual registered with the referring school. Some pupils (who have an EHCP) might be named as The Castle School.

Pupils and their families arrive at our school following a period of social isolation and very poor school attendance. They are fearful of education and school owing to negative experiences or discriminated against in their previous setting. However, the immediate expectation is to attend full time following a period of induction. In some extreme cases (and with consultation with parents and other professionals) this timetable offer will be amended.

All pupils have a designated keyworker and teaching groups are usually no more than 10 pupils. Ideally, all dual registered pupils should return to their mainstream school but this is reviewed on a case by case basis.

Click below to read our most recent Ofsted Inspection Report.

Ofsted Inspection Report

Lia Copestake

Head of School - The Castle School

Head of Secondary Welcome

I’m proud to be a school leader at Kingsmead helping to shape the evolution and growth of the school and its community; establishing an inspiring, rich and varied curriculum for all our pupils.

In my role as Head of Secondary I oversee our Special School, PRU and Hospital Medical School – working closely with the Executive Head Teacher and a dedicated team of Assistant Head Teachers who have operational control of each site.

Kingsmead is a diverse and ambitious school where pupils of all abilities, aptitudes, special needs and social backgrounds thrive and achieve. Pupils currently on roll are from Keystage 3 and 4 and have arrived at the school through a variety of admission routes. 

Pupils are at the heart of everything we do, and we aim for every child to enjoy their school experience, while developing the skills, experiences and qualifications to be successful in life. Colleagues at all levels share this vision and work tirelessly to provide a positive learning experience which meets the needs of all our pupils.

Our teaching and holistic support structures allow learning through engaging topics, while pupils who need to be challenged academically can access a broad range of topics delivered by specialists who will help them to achieve high GCSE grades.

At Kingsmead we believe every pupil can, and will, succeed providing the right opportunities are made available.  And regardless of admission route or needs we believe that every day is a new day and a fresh start.

Emmet Bunting

Head of Secondary

Key Information

We want to make sure you can access everything you need for any of our Kingsmead Schools and provisions, click below to get straight to the info you need...

student testimonial

Read the lovely words below from a parent and student. We are thrilled to have received such positive feedback.

Welcome to Castle


Welcome to Castle..a poem written by a Year 10 student about her experience of attending the Castle Education Centre (Hospital Medical Provision).

'Castle is a welcoming place where you can learn in an environment which is right for you'.

Our Staff Team

Meet our team serving the Kingsmead School community

96%

of students go on to successful P16 settings

67%

of students make progress from their previous setting

99%

of students gain qualifications appropriate to their ability

100%

of students experience new curriculum opportunities

Our curriculum

At Kingsmead School we offer a broad range of enriching opportunities to support the most effective transition between Primary, Secondary and Post 16. See below for an insight into some of the subjects and qualifications on offer

Testimonials

Term Dates

Scroll along to find our term dates, school holidays and inset days

Contact us

If there is anything you couldn't find on our website, or you'd like to send us a message, please fill in the form below

    Postal Address

    Castle Education Centre         

    56 Cedar Street

    Derby

    DE22 1GE

    Call us on

    01332 973869

    Send your message

    [email protected]

    Read the lovely words below from a parent and student. We are thrilled to have received such positive feedback.

    Read the lovely words below from a parent and student. We are thrilled to have received such positive feedback.

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