An exciting year for local school with expansion of the school’s accommodation and facilities

After receiving an ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted rating at the start of the year, Castle East School continues to grow positively as pupils and teachers started the new term with new facilities.

Anna Mears, Castle EAST Headteacher, said: “We are over the moon that the refurbishment of the final part of the school building has now been completed and we are able to welcome even more pupils to our innovative and outstanding school. The whole building allows us to ensure that all of our pupils learn and thrive in a nurturing environment.”

With the continued investment of £55 million from Suffolk County Council in SEND provision across Suffolk, the school has expanded to continue supporting children from Year 5 to Year 11 with complex communication and interaction (C&I) needs. This expansion has increased the school’s capacity from 80 pupil places to 120.

Cllr Andrew Reid, Cabinet Member for Education and SEND at Suffolk County Council, said: “These extra places will make a significant difference to children and their families from the local community. This extension is part of Suffolk County Council’s £55 million investment into creating more than 1,000 new SEND placements across Suffolk.”

The original project team, Concertus Design and Property Consultants and SEH French returned to expand Castle East School, following the transition in 2021 from Bungay Middle School to Castle EAST C&I School, which opened as a new school in October 2021.

Charles Coulson, Associate Director at Concertus, said: “We are pleased to complete the second phase of this project alongside Suffolk County Council, SEH French, the school, and East Anglian Schools Trust. All children should learn and develop in a safe environment to ensure they receive the best education, and the new facilities at Castle EAST will support this. The team worked hard to ensure the design was developed with the specialist needs of the students in mind to provide an appropriate state-of-the-art learning facility.”

Over the six months to September, the refurbishment project has enhanced the existing school’s facilities, enabling Castle EAST School to extend its outstanding offer to more students. The project work includes the introduction of three additional class bases, an additional science room, an art room, an IT room, and other ancillary rooms. Associated mechanical and electrical work was also completed, along with courtyard refurbishment, fencing, and security work.

The school’s rejuvenation ensures that more children can develop personally, socially, and academically, providing additional school places for children closer to their homes.