OFSTED
17 March 2026
Latest inspection
Latest published outcome
Met
Renewed framework
Safeguarding
Met
Inclusion
Expected standard
Curriculum & teaching
Expected standard
Achievement
Expected standard
Attendance & behaviour
Expected standard
Personal development
Expected standard
Leadership & governance
Expected standard
SCHOOL DETAILS
About this school
School type
Academy converter
Phase
All-through
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
—
Local authority
Bedford
Trust
BEDFORDSHIRE SCHOOLS TRUST LIMITED
Census date
15 January 2026
PUPIL PROFILE
2025/26
School community
Latest published pupil characteristics for 2025/26.
Total pupils
624
624 full-time ·
0 part-time
Female pupils
303
48.6% of pupils
Male pupils
321
51.4% of pupils
Free school meals
Pupils eligible for free school meals.
15.2 pts
below England
School
9.6%
Bedford
20.1%
East of England
19.7%
England
24.8%
English as an additional language
Pupils whose first language is not English.
4.6 pts
below England
School
15.7%
Bedford
23.1%
East of England
16.4%
England
20.3%
Young carers
Pupils recorded as young carers.
3.2 pts
above England
School
4.2%
Bedford
1.8%
East of England
1.7%
England
1.0%
Ethnicity
Largest recorded pupil groups.
White British
54.5%
340
Any other White background
13.1%
82
Any other Mixed background
5.3%
33
African
5.1%
32
White and Asian
4.6%
29
White and Black Caribbean
3.4%
21
Council, regional and national comparisons
are pupil-weighted using published school
census counts.
ADDITIONAL NEEDS
2025/26
Special educational needs
Pupils receiving SEN support or with an education, health and care plan.
Pupils with SEN
10.3%
64 of
624 pupils
10.6 pts
below England
England:
20.8%
England
14.8%
7.4 pts
below
England
6.0%
3.2 pts
below
PRIMARY NEEDS
Pupils
Most common identified needs
SEN comparisons are pupil-weighted using published 2025/26 Department for Education school-level data. Primary needs combine pupils receiving SEN support and pupils with EHC plans.
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
2024/25
Key stage 2 outcomes
Published Department for Education results for 2024/25.
EXPECTED STANDARD
Reading, writing & maths
67.0%
6.6 pts
above England
EXPECTED STANDARD
77.0%
Reading
3.2 pts above England
School
77.0%
Bedford
69.5%
East of England
72.9%
England
73.8%
EXPECTED STANDARD
76.0%
Writing
5.7 pts above England
School
76.0%
Bedford
64.1%
East of England
68.0%
England
70.3%
EXPECTED STANDARD
77.0%
Maths
5.0 pts above England
School
77.0%
Bedford
66.1%
East of England
70.3%
England
72.0%
School results show the percentage of
pupils meeting the expected standard.
Council, regional and national
comparisons are averages of published
school-level percentages and are not
pupil-weighted official attainment rates.
ATTENDANCE & ABSENCE
2024/25
Attendance profile
Published Department for Education absence data for 2024/25. Lower absence rates are generally better.
ABSENCE RATE
4.57%
Overall absence
Percentage of possible sessions missed.
1.65 pts
lower than
England
School
4.57%
Bedford
5.81%
East of England
6.17%
England
6.22%
ABSENCE RATE
9.68%
Persistent absence
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
6.14 pts
lower than
England
School
9.68%
Bedford
15.50%
East of England
15.39%
England
15.82%
ABSENCE RATE
1.08%
Severe absence
Pupils missing 50% or more of sessions.
0.73 pts
lower than
England
School
1.08%
Bedford
1.52%
East of England
1.83%
England
1.80%
Council, regional and national
comparisons are averages of published
school-level percentages rather than
pupil-weighted official absence rates.
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?
School context
Comparison with open all-through schools.
CAPACITY
Capacity utilisation
45.2%
45.9 pts
below England
Castle Newnham School
45.2%
Bedford
45.2%
East of England
93.0%
England
91.1%
Benchmarks use open schools in the
same phase. Capacity utilisation is
calculated from published pupil and
capacity figures.