The Castle SchoolMonkton Wood Academy
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Taunton.
Summary of the comparison
The Castle School and Monkton Wood Academy are secondary schools in Taunton.
The Castle School scores 75 out of 100 (grade B, strong) and Monkton Wood Academy scores 31 out of 100 (grade F, weak). The Castle School is ahead on our composite score.
The Castle School was judged Outstanding and Monkton Wood Academy was judged Inadequate.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 52.7 for The Castle School and 42.2 for Monkton Wood Academy.
GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at The Castle School (55.1 in 2021-22, 52.7 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | TauntonThe Castle School | TauntonMonkton Wood Academy | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | B75/100Stronger figure | F31/100 | |
| Local ranking | 1st of 32 in Somerset Stronger figure | 32nd of 32 in Somerset | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: OutstandingStronger figure | Ofsted: Inadequate | |
| School type | Academy converter | Academy sponsor led | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-19 | 11-18 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,207 | 1,267 | |
| Capacity | 1,188 | 1,410 | |
| Location | Taunton, TA1 5AU | Taunton, TA2 8PD | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 52.7 Stronger figure | 42.2 | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 57.3% Stronger figure | 37.1% | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 73.6% Stronger figure | 58.6% | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 239 | 251 | |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,202 | 1,266 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 13.0% | 22.9% | |
| English as an additional language | 13.2% | 10.3% | |
| SEN support | 10.1% | 19.6% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 2.6% | 4.1% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 7.2% Stronger figure | 11.3% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 16.1% Stronger figure | 28.5% | 15.8% |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
GCSE Attainment 8
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Ethnicity over time
One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.
The Castle School
Monkton Wood Academy
Full profiles: The Castle School · Monkton Wood Academy