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Ofsted: Outstanding trending_up Places Available emoji_events #4 in Bedford public Top 20% UK

Castle Newnham School

verifiedData: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted
personMrs Ruth Wilkes
location_onBedford, MK40 3EP
language Visit Website phone 1234300800
verified

Ofsted

Outstanding

Inspected 2013

groups

Students

679

school

Expected Standard

74%

local_fire_department

Demand Ratio

1.0x

summarize

Castle Newnham School is a Foundation school primary school in Bedford, serving ages 4-11. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted — the highest possible grade. Ranks in the top 20% of primary schools nationally.

article

School Summary

Castle Newnham School is a foundation school in Bedford, admitting pupils aged 4-11. The school has approximately 679 pupils on roll.

In 2024, 74% of pupils met the expected standard in Reading, Writing and Maths combined, with 9% achieving the higher standard. The school ranks #4 of 53 primaries in Bedford and #2,896 of 15,713 nationally.

Ofsted last inspected the school in 2013. The school's current overall rating is Outstanding.

In the most recent admissions cycle, applications were at 1.0× capacity.

The pupil-to-qualified-teacher ratio is 23.5:1. There are no current teaching vacancies. Teacher turnover in the previous year was 14.1%.

In the 2023/24 academic year, there were no permanent exclusions. The average suspension rate was 0.6 per 1,000 pupils per term.

verified Source: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

Academic Performance

verified Data: UK Gov 2024/25
school

Primary Performance Trends (KS2)

2024

R/W/M Expected Standard

74%

LA 54%England 61%
Reading86% LA 70% · Eng 74%
Writing76% LA 64% · Eng 72%
Maths81% LA 67% · Eng 73%

Read SS

107

Maths SS

106

GPS SS

105

Progress (0 = national avg)

-

Read

-

Write

-

Maths

2023

R/W/M Expected Standard

51%

LA 51%England 60%
Reading78% LA 66% · Eng 73%
Writing55% LA 61% · Eng 71%
Maths72% LA 66% · Eng 73%

Read SS

107

Maths SS

105

GPS SS

105

Progress (0 = national avg)

1.9

Read

LA 0.2

0.5 to 3.3

-3.1

Write

LA -1.2

-4.4 to -1.8

1.1

Maths

LA -0.1

-0.2 to 2.3
2019

R/W/M Expected Standard

67%

LA 55%England 65%
Reading78% LA 67% · Eng 73%
Writing80% LA 67% · Eng 78%
Maths72% LA 71% · Eng 79%

Read SS

105

Maths SS

103

GPS SS

105

Progress (0 = national avg)

-1.7

Read

LA -1.5

-3.4 to -0.1

-2.8

Write

LA -2.5

-4.3 to -1.2

-3.2

Maths

LA -2.1

-4.6 to -1.7
2018

R/W/M Expected Standard

-%

LA 45%
Reading-% LA 56%
Writing-% LA 65%
Maths-% LA 57%

Read SS

-

Maths SS

-

GPS SS

-

Progress (0 = national avg)

-

Read

LA -2.9

-

Write

LA -2.4

-

Maths

LA -2.7

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Report Archive

No digital report timeline available.

Inspection History

2 Evaluations
S5 Inspection EIF
Outstanding
Education
No Judgement
Behaviour
No Judgement
Development
No Judgement
Leadership
Outstanding
None EIF
Outstanding
Education
No Judgement
Behaviour
No Judgement
Development
No Judgement
Leadership
Outstanding

Top Primary Schools in Bedford

Other highly-ranked schools in the same local authority

View all schools in Bedford arrow_forward

Data sources: School information from GIAS (DfE). Ofsted inspection data from Ofsted. Performance data from DfE Performance Tables. Parent View data from Ofsted Parent View. Census data from DfE Explore Education Statistics. Rankings are computed by SchoolsInfo.uk using public DfE data. Data updated annually. Last refresh: March 2026. How we calculate rankings →

Disclaimer: The information on this page is provided for general reference purposes only and is sourced from publicly available government datasets. SchoolsInfo.uk is an independent website and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of any school, local authority, Ofsted, or the Department for Education. Data may not reflect the current position of the school — always verify directly with the school or the relevant official body before making any decisions. School performance data relates to historical cohorts and may not be representative of current or future results. Rankings and composite scores are compiled by SchoolsInfo.uk and do not constitute an official government assessment. Nothing on this page constitutes professional advice.

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