Castle Newnham School, Bedford

Ofsted's report card from its 17 March 2026 inspection grades Castle Newnham School on 7 areas: 7 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Expected standard. "Overall, pupils achieve well."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Pupils enjoy coming to school."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have created a sequenced and ambitious curriculum."

Early years - Expected standard. "The early years provision provides children with a solid start to school."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders are ambitious for pupils."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders and governors have an accurate and well-informed understanding of the school's strengths and the areas that need to be developed further."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have established a coherent and well‑structured programme for personal development and wellbeing."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders need to ensure that teaching, including in early years, more consistently addresses gaps in pupils' learning so that pupils develop more detailed knowledge over time"; "Leaders need to ensure that they more precisely identify barriers to learning for some pupils, so that all pupils consistently benefit from the high-quality teaching that the school offers".

In 2025, 77% of Year 6 pupils at Castle Newnham School reached the expected standard in reading and 77% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 70% in Bedford and 77% and 75% across England.

For September 2026 entry, 69 families put Castle Newnham School as their first choice and 160 named it as one of their preferences, for 88 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Castle Newnham School are Castle Newnham School (0.4 miles, Attainment 8 44.8); Goldington Academy (0.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 52); Bedford Free School (0.7 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 51); and Bedford Academy (1.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 44.4).

Castle Newnham School is one of 12 schools run by Bedfordshire Schools Trust Limited, an academy trust.

132 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Castle Newnham School (as of April 2026): 82% would recommend the school, 86% say their child is happy there and 48% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (90%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (48%).

9.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 46 pupils (7.4%) received SEN support and 18 (2.9%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.

Castle Newnham School had 28 teachers in 2026, one for every 22 pupils: fewer teachers per pupil than a typical secondary school, at about one for every 17.

The nearest railway station is Bedford St Johns Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.

10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Goldington Avenue (adjacent), 100 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 757 crimes within a mile of the school, most often shoplifting, violence and sexual offences and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Bedford (136), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Castle Newnham School issued 29 suspensions, 4.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Castle Newnham School are St John Rigby Catholic Primary School (0.4 miles), Hazeldene School (0.8 miles), The Hills Academy (0.8 miles) and Priory Primary School (0.9 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.