Bedford Free SchoolCastle Newnham School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Bedford.
Summary of the comparison
Bedford Free School and Castle Newnham School are secondary schools in Bedford.
Bedford Free School scores 75 out of 100 (grade B, strong) and Castle Newnham School scores 61 out of 100 (grade C, average). Bedford Free School is ahead on our composite score.
Bedford Free School was judged Outstanding and Castle Newnham School was judged Good.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 46.5 for Bedford Free School and 42.7 for Castle Newnham School.
GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at Bedford Free School (54.6 in 2021-22, 46.5 in 2024-25).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | BedfordBedford Free School | BedfordCastle Newnham School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | B75/100Stronger figure | C61/100 | |
| Local ranking | 2nd of 14 in Bedford Stronger figure | 14th of 14 in Bedford | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: OutstandingStronger figure | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Free schools | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-16 | 11-16 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 525 | 750 | |
| Capacity | 500 | 750 | |
| Location | Bedford, MK42 9AD | Bedford, MK41 9DT | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 46.5 Stronger figure | 42.7 | 46.0 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 36.7% Stronger figure | 34.2% | 45.4% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 62.2% | 62.4% Stronger figure | 64.8% |
| Entering EBacc | 88.8% Stronger figure | 87.9% | 40.5% |
| EBacc average point score | 4.51 Stronger figure | 4.16 | 4.09 |
| Cohort | 98 | 149 | |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 525 | 750 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 28.6% | 20.1% | |
| English as an additional language | 64.0% | 21.1% | |
| SEN support | 4.4% | 12.7% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 4.2% | 6.3% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 7.7% | 7.6% Stronger figure | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 19.4% Stronger figure | 23.7% | 15.8% |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
GCSE Attainment 8
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Full profiles: Bedford Free School · Castle Newnham School