Castle Newnham School vs Bedford Free School
Side-by-side comparison of key school data
Castle Newnham School
Bedford
Bedford Free School
Bedford
Overview
Phase
All-through
Secondary
Type
Academy converter
Free schools
Age Range
4–16
11–16
Gender
Mixed
Mixed
Religious Character
None
None
Admissions
-
Non-selective
Local Authority
Bedford
Bedford
Pupils & Capacity
Pupils
624
536
Capacity
1380
500
Occupancy
45%
107%
FSM %
9.6%
29.5%
Nursery
Sixth Form
Boarding
Ofsted
Overall Rating
-
-
Quality of Education
Requires Improvement
Outstanding
Behaviour & Attitudes
Requires Improvement
Outstanding
Personal Development
Requires Improvement
Outstanding
Leadership & Management
Requires Improvement
Outstanding
Last Inspected
Mar 2026
Apr 2025
Performance (2025)
Progress 8
-
-
Attainment 8
-
51.0
GCSE Eng+Maths 5+
-
58.3%
KS2 Reading
77%
-
KS2 Maths
77%
-
KS2 Writing
76%
-