Castle Newnham School
Ofsted: Expected
Score
C63
- Type
- Academy converter
- Phase
- All-through
- Location
- Bedford, MK40 3EP
- Distance
- 1.2km away
Bedford Free School
Cauldwell Street, Bedford, MK42 9AD
Local ranking1st of 14 secondary schools in Bedford
Ofsted: OutstandingUpdated— score data refreshed 15 October 2026
Secondary
Phase
500
Capacity
11-16
Age range
Mixed
Gender
Latest data: 2026 GCSEs · Ofsted inspection 15 January 2020. Figures last updated .
Year:
GCSE Results
2025-26- Average Attainment 8
- 51.0 nat46.2
- Grade 5+ Eng & Maths
- 58.3% nat46.3%
- Grade 4+ Eng & Maths
- 68.0% nat64.8%
- Cohort Size
- 103
Destinations
After GCSE 2024-25
- Sustained education/employment
- 91.0%
- Continued in education
- 86.0%
- Apprenticeships
- 1.0%
- Employment
- 3.0%
- Not sustained
- 5.0%
Pupil Demographics
2024-25- Total Pupils
- 525
- Boys
- 276 (51%)
- Girls
- 260 (49%)
- Capacity
- 500 (107% full)
- SEND
- 8.6%
- FSM Eligible
- 28.6%
- EAL
- 64.0%
- SEN with EHC Plan
- 4.2%
- SEN Support
- 4.4%
- Pupil:Teacher Ratio
- 13.5:1
- Teachers (FTE)
- 38.9
- Budget per Pupil
- £7,816/yr
*Financial data not available for 2025-26 — showing 2024-25
Attendance & Absence
2024-25*Data not available for 2025-26 — showing latest available results
- Overall Absence Rate
- 7.7% nat6.2%
- Persistent Absence
- 19.4% nat15.8%
Persistent absence: pupils missing 10%+ of sessions.
School Information
- Type
- Free schools
- Phase
- Secondary
- Nursery
- No Nursery Classes
- Sixth Form
- Does not have a sixth form
- Boarders
- No boarders
- Admissions
- Non-selective
Pupil Ethnicity
Loading chart
- Asian Indian: 16.6%
- White Other: 16.0%
- White British: 14.1%
- Black African: 11.6%
- Asian Bangladeshi: 10.8%
- Mixed Other: 8.7%
- Asian Pakistani: 7.9%
- Other: 3.9%
16.6%
Asian Indian
16.0%
White Other
14.1%
White British
Historical Trends
GCSE Performance
Pupil Demographics
Attendance & Absence
Contact & Location
Cauldwell Street
Bedford, East of England
Administrative
- URN
- 138228
- UKPRN
- 10038073
- Establishment No.
- 4001
- Trust
- ADVANTAGE SCHOOLS
Common questions about Bedford Free School
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Often compared with
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Bedford · 1.2km away
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