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Bedford
Castle Newnham School
Academy converter · ages 4–11 · 622 pupils
Part of BEDFORDSHIRE SCHOOLS TRUST LIMITED
9% free school meals 23% English as an additional language (Year 6) 6% SEN support (Year 6)
Year 6 results
Reading, writing and maths
Share of Year 6 pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, 2024/25.
| Year | School | Bedford | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 51% | 52% | 60% |
| 2023/24 | 74% | 55% | 61% |
| 2024/25 | 67% | 57% | 63% |
| 3-year average | 64% |
90 pupils took the tests in 2025.
Average scaled scores in 2025: reading 106, maths 105 (100 is the expected standard). Higher standard in reading, writing and maths: 8%.
There are no results for 2019/20 or 2020/21, when the tests were cancelled. What do SATs scores mean?
Inspection
What Ofsted found
Report card published 19/05/2026. Ofsted grades each area on a five-point scale, from urgent improvement to exceptional.
| Inclusion | Expected standard |
| Curriculum and teaching | Expected standard |
| Achievement | Expected standard |
| Attendance and behaviour | Expected standard |
| Personal development and wellbeing | Expected standard |
| Early years | Expected standard |
| Leadership and governance | Expected standard |
| Safeguarding | Met |
The local area
Children in Bedford
| Measure | Bedford | England |
|---|---|---|
| Good level of development at the end of Reception 2024/25 similar | 68.6% | 68.3% |
| Phonics check met in Year 1 2024/25 lower | 76.6% | 79.8% |
| Year 6 children living with obesity 2024/25 similar | 22.5% | 22.2% |
| MMR two doses by age 5 2024/25 higher | 87.4% | 83.7% |
| Primary pupils persistently absent 2024/25 lower | 12.3% | 13.0% |
| Children in relative low-income families (under 16) 2024/25 lower | 17.8% | 19.8% |
“Higher” or “lower” means the difference from England is bigger than the margin of error; “similar” means it isn’t. These are figures for all children in the council area, not for any one school or child.