Ofsted: Good emoji_events #7 in Bedford public Top 27% UK

Castle Newnham School

verifiedData: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

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location_onBedford, MK41 9DT

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Ofsted

Good

Inspected 2018

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Attainment 8

42.7

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GCSE Rank

#9 in Bedford

#2,136 of 3,216 nationally

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Castle Newnham School is a Academy converter secondary school in Bedford, serving ages 11-16. Rated Good by Ofsted.

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School Summary

Castle Newnham School is an academy converter in Bedford, admitting pupils aged 11-16. The school has approximately 750 pupils on roll, of whom 20% are eligible for free school meals.

In 2025, pupils achieved an Attainment 8 score of 42.7, placing the school #9 in Bedford and #2,136 of 3,216 nationally. 34.20% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and Maths. 11.7% of all GCSE entries were graded 9–7.

Ofsted last inspected the school in 2018. The school's current overall rating is Good.

The pupil-to-qualified-teacher ratio is 21.1:1. There is 1 teaching vacancy.

In the 2024/25 academic year, there were 2 permanent exclusions. The average suspension rate was 5.2 per 1,000 pupils per term.

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

Academic Performance

verified Data: UK Gov 2024/25

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Secondary Performance Trends (KS4)

2025

Progress 8 Score

Attainment 8

42.7

Grade 5+ E&M

34.20%

Grade 9–7 (all GCSEs)11.7%

Entering EBacc87.90%

EBacc APS4.16

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Student Destinations (After Secondary)

This module shows what students did after finishing Key Stage 4 (GCSEs). It reflects how well the school prepares pupils for the real world.

2025

Stayed in Education / Employment

89%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)84%

Apprenticeships1%

Employment3%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)7%

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Report Archive

06 September 2024

Inspection Report

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Inspection Report

Inspection History

2 Evaluations

2018-09-25

S5 Inspection EIF

Good

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Good

2013-10-15

None EIF

Good

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Good

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

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Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

Official Department for Education (DfE) data. Suspensions measure temporary removals due to behavior, while exclusions represent permanent removals.

Suspension Rate

5.1%per term

sentiment_satisfied Below Average (Good)

National average: 7.3% for this term (secondary).

Pupils Suspended 1+ Times

3.5%(26 pupils)

Spring term 2025

Represents the proportion of unique students suspended at least once in this term.

Permanent Exclusions

0pupils

verified Excellent (Zero)

National average: 7.398% of pupils excluded per term.

Pastoral Context: In the Spring term of 2025, this school served a headcount of 750 pupils. During this period, there were 38 temporary suspensions. The school's suspension rate was 5.1%, which is below the termly national average of 7.3%.

View Historical Disciplinary Records (2017–2025)keyboard_arrow_down

Year / Term	Headcount	Suspensions	Susp. Rate	Nat. Avg	Perm. Excl.
2024/25 (Spring term)	750	38	5.1%	7.3%	0
2024/25 (Autumn term)	758	41	5.4%	7.8%	2

Source: DfE Suspensions and Permanent Exclusions in England. Data represents termly statistics as published by the Department for Education.

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Supported Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Primary areas of need currently supported by the school. A high number often indicates specialized internal units or high staff experience in these areas.

Other Difficulty/Disability 42 pupils

Social, Emotional & Mental Health 33 pupils

Speech, Language & Communication 23 pupils

Autistic Spectrum Disorder 15 pupils

Specific Learning Difficulty 12 pupils

Moderate Learning Difficulty 11 pupils

Physical Disability 2 pupils

Visual Impairment 1 pupils