The Hills AcademyCastle Newnham School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Bedford.
Summary of the comparison
The Hills Academy and Castle Newnham School are primary schools in Bedford.
The Hills Academy scores 73 out of 100 (grade B, strong) and Castle Newnham School scores 63 out of 100 (grade C, average). The Hills Academy is ahead on our composite score.
The Hills Academy was judged Good and Castle Newnham School was judged the expected standard.
On the share of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at Key Stage 2, the latest published figures are 63.0% for The Hills Academy and 67.0% for Castle Newnham School.
The share of pupils meeting the expected standard at Key Stage 2 has risen at The Hills Academy (60.0% in 2022-23, 63.0% in 2024-25).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | BedfordThe Hills Academy | BedfordCastle Newnham School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | B73/100Stronger figure | C63/100 | |
| Local ranking | 2nd of 51 in Bedford Stronger figure | 40th of 51 in Bedford | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: Expected | |
| School type | Academy converter | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Primary | Primary | |
| Age range | 3-11 | 4-11 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 440 | 622 | |
| Capacity | 420 | 680 | |
| Location | Bedford, MK41 9AT | Bedford, MK40 3EP | |
| Key Stage 2 (SATs) | |||
| Reading, writing & maths at expected standard | 63.0% | 67.0% Stronger figure | 62.0% |
| At higher standard | 10.0% Stronger figure | 8.0% | 8.0% |
| Reading average scaled score | 105.0 | 106.0 Stronger figure | 106.0 |
| Maths average scaled score | 104.0 | 105.0 Stronger figure | 105.0 |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 440 | 622 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 13.4% | 9.3% | |
| English as an additional language | 21.6% | 17.0% | |
| SEN support | 4.8% | 5.8% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 2.5% | 3.7% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 3.8% Stronger figure | 4.6% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 6.9% Stronger figure | 9.7% | 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.
KS2: expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Full profiles: The Hills Academy · Castle Newnham School