What year groups does Castle Newnham School teach?

Castle Newnham School teaches children aged 4 to 11. It is a primary school in Bedford.

Who is the federation principal of Castle Newnham School?

The federation principal of Castle Newnham School is Mrs Donna Neely-Hayes, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.

When was Castle Newnham School last inspected?

Ofsted has inspected Castle Newnham School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.

How big is Castle Newnham School?

Castle Newnham School has 624 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 4 to 11.

Is Castle Newnham School full?

Castle Newnham School has capacity for 680 pupils and 624 on roll (92%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.

Is Castle Newnham School a faith school?

No. Castle Newnham School has no designated religious character.

Who runs Castle Newnham School?

Castle Newnham School is part of BEDFORDSHIRE SCHOOLS TRUST LIMITED. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.

What is Castle Newnham School's absence rate?

Castle Newnham School's overall absence rate is 4.6% in the latest published census.

What are Castle Newnham School's exam results?

Where the Department for Education has published them, Castle Newnham School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.

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Castle Newnham School

Castle Newnham School

Goldington Road, Bedford, MK40 3EP

Phase: Primary
School type: Academy converter
Ages: 4 to 11
Gender: Mixed
Religious character: None
Trust: BEDFORDSHIRE SCHOOLS TRUST LIMITED
Federation Principal: Mrs Donna Neely-Hayes
Sponsor: Bedfordshire Schools Trust Limited
Constituency: Bedford
Setting: Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Capacity: 680
Pupils on roll: 624
URN: 151125
Local authority: Bedford
Website: School website
Telephone: 01234303403

About this school

Castle Newnham School is a primary academy in Bedford. It teaches children aged 4 to 11 and has 624 pupils on roll.

You can read Ofsted's latest judgement for the school below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Seeing a school for yourself shows what no page can, so arrange a visit before you apply.

Ofsted judgement

England: inspection report card

Inspected 17 March 2026 · report published 19 May 2026

Ofsted no longer gives schools a single overall grade. Each area of the school's work is graded on a five-point scale, and safeguarding is judged separately.

Inclusion: Expected standard
Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard
Achievement: Expected standard
Attendance and behaviour: Expected standard
Personal development and wellbeing: Expected standard
Leadership and governance: Expected standard
Early years: Expected standard
Safeguarding: Met

Read the full report on Ofsted's website

Exam results

Key stage 2 (end of primary school)

Measure	2024/25
Pupils at the end of key stage 2	90
Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths	67%
Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths	8%
Expected standard in reading	77%
Expected standard in maths	77%
Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling	70%
Average scaled score in reading	106.0
Average scaled score in maths	105.0

How Castle Newnham School compares

Castle Newnham School ranked 13th of 51 primary schools in Bedford for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 57% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 71% of England schools in 2024/25.

School	KS2 RWM (2024/25)	Absence	FSM (6 years)	Pupils	Distance
This school	67%	4.6%	9.3%	624	—
St John Rigby Catholic Primary School	49%	4.7%	11.8%	268	0.4 miles
Hazeldene School	75%	3.7%	17%	443	0.8 miles
The Hills Academy	63%	3.8%	13.4%	442	0.8 miles
Priory Primary School	50%	6.1%	25.1%	214	0.9 miles
Livingstone Primary School	49%	5.1%	35.5%	457	1.0 miles

Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.

School context

From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.

Free school meals (last 6 years): 9.32%
English as an additional language: 17%
Overall absence: 4.57%
Persistent absence: 9.68%

Location

Nearby schools

St John Rigby Catholic Primary School
Primary · Bedford

0.4 miles
Hazeldene School
Primary · Bedford

0.8 miles
The Hills Academy
Primary · Bedford

0.8 miles
Priory Primary School
Primary · Bedford

0.9 miles
Livingstone Primary School
Primary · Bedford

1.0 miles

Other schools in Bedford

Castle Newnham School ranks 12th of the 53 ranked primary schools in Bedford.

Balliol Primary School Primary
Bedford Road Primary Academy Primary
Brickhill Primary School Primary
Broadmead Lower School Primary
Bromham CofE Primary School Primary
Camestone School Primary
Carlton CofE Primary School Primary
Cauldwell School Primary
Cotton End Forest School Primary
Cranfield Church of England Academy Primary
Edith Cavell Primary School Primary
Elstow School Primary

Common questions

What year groups does Castle Newnham School teach?: Castle Newnham School teaches children aged 4 to 11. It is a primary school in Bedford.
Who is the federation principal of Castle Newnham School?: The federation principal of Castle Newnham School is Mrs Donna Neely-Hayes, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
When was Castle Newnham School last inspected?: Ofsted has inspected Castle Newnham School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
How big is Castle Newnham School?: Castle Newnham School has 624 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 4 to 11.
Is Castle Newnham School full?: Castle Newnham School has capacity for 680 pupils and 624 on roll (92%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
Is Castle Newnham School a faith school?: No. Castle Newnham School has no designated religious character.
Who runs Castle Newnham School?: Castle Newnham School is part of BEDFORDSHIRE SCHOOLS TRUST LIMITED. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
How does Castle Newnham School rank locally?: Castle Newnham School ranked 13th of 51 primary schools in Bedford for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 57% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 71% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
What is Castle Newnham School's absence rate?: Castle Newnham School's overall absence rate is 4.6% in the latest published census.
What are Castle Newnham School's exam results?: Where the Department for Education has published them, Castle Newnham School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.

School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 10 July 2026.