Castle Newnham School

Castle Newnham School is performing well with a strong positive culture and robust safeguarding measures in place. Pupils generally achieve well, making secure progress in their learning and demonstrating positive behavior and high levels of attendance. The curriculum is sequenced and ambitious, equipping students for future educational stages, while personal development programs instill a strong sense of community and respect. The school is currently transitioning through significant changes as it prepares to merge with a high school to become an all-through institution, revealing a context of growth and adaptation.

Strengths

• Strong overall pupil achievement and progression
• Positive culture of safeguarding and pupil welfare
• Ambitious and well-structured curriculum
• Effective teaching with skilled staff
• High levels of pupil engagement and participation
• Strong personal development and wellbeing programs

Areas for Improvement

• Need to more consistently address gaps in pupils' learning
• Need for more precise identification of barriers to learning

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Castle Newnham School attended 95.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.7% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 1.1% of pupils at Castle Newnham School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Castle Newnham School had 24.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.5% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 7.4% of pupils at Castle Newnham School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.9% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Castle Newnham School received £6,231 and spent £6,617 for each of its 622 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £416,000 (£669 per pupil).

Across all 11 schools of Bedfordshire Schools Trust Limited, income was £7,313 and spending £7,140 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Bedford · Bedford local authority: places and applications

Castle Newnham School is part of Bedfordshire Schools Trust Limited, which runs 11 schools. The nearest others:

• Campton Academy Shefford
• Robert Bloomfield Academy Shefford
• Lawnside Academy Biggleswade
• Samuel Whitbread Academy Shefford
• Gravenhurst Academy Bedford
• Langford Village Academy Biggleswade
• Gothic Mede Academy Arlesey
• Etonbury Academy Arlesey
• Pix Brook Academy Stotfold
• St Christophers Academy Dunstable

What is Castle Newnham School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Castle Newnham School is Expected standard, from an inspection in May 2026.

When was Castle Newnham School last inspected by Ofsted?

Castle Newnham School was last inspected in May 2026.

How many pupils does Castle Newnham School have?

Castle Newnham School has 624 pupils on roll.

What age range does Castle Newnham School cover?

Castle Newnham School for pupils aged 4 to 16.

What are Castle Newnham School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 67% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Castle Newnham School?

Castle Newnham School is at Goldington Road, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK40 3EP.