The Dean AcademyThe Castle School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side.
Summary of the comparison
The Dean Academy and The Castle School are secondary schools.
The Dean Academy scores 54 out of 100 (grade D, below average) and The Castle School scores 64 out of 100 (grade C, average). The Castle School is ahead on our composite score.
The Dean Academy was judged the expected standard and The Castle School was judged the expected standard.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 43.1 for The Dean Academy and 52.4 for The Castle School.
GCSE Attainment 8 has held broadly level at The Dean Academy (43.9 in 2021-22, 43.1 in 2024-25) and has fallen at The Castle School (57.5 in 2021-22, 52.4 in 2024-25).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | LydneyThe Dean Academy | BristolThe Castle School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | D54/100 | C64/100Stronger figure | |
| Local ranking | 32nd of 40 in Gloucestershire | 2nd of 16 in South Gloucestershire | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Expected | Ofsted: Expected | |
| School type | Academy sponsor led | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-16 | 11-18 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 734 | 1,449 | |
| Capacity | 1,095 | 1,733 | |
| Location | Lydney, GL15 5DZ | Bristol, BS35 1HT | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 43.1 | 52.4 Stronger figure | 46.0 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 32.2% | 58.3% Stronger figure | 45.4% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 57.8% | 74.9% Stronger figure | 64.8% |
| Entering EBacc | 37.8% | 58.7% Stronger figure | 40.5% |
| EBacc average point score | 3.80 | 4.93 Stronger figure | 4.09 |
| Cohort | 90 | 223 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | Not reported | 133 | |
| A-level average points | Not reported | 33.8 | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | Not reported | C+ | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | Not reported | 34.2 | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | Not reported | 17.3% | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 734 | 1,449 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 32.3% | 15.0% | |
| English as an additional language | 4.2% | 15.8% | |
| SEN support | 11.8% | 7.2% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 6.5% | 2.8% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 8.3% | 7.8% Stronger figure | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 24.9% | 22.3% Stronger figure | 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
GCSE Progress 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 Dean Academy
The Castle School
Full profiles: The Dean Academy · The Castle School