Appleton Academy, Bradford

Ofsted's report card from its 16 June 2026 inspection grades Appleton Academy on 7 areas: 4 expected standard and 3 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Pupils' attendance has improved in recent years."

Early years - Expected standard. "The early years area is a happy, welcoming place."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders have established effective systems to identify the needs of pupils quickly and accurately."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have established a comprehensive and age-appropriate personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum across the school."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Pupils' achievement over time in national tests and examinations at key stage 4 has been significantly below national averages for all pupils and for disadvantaged pupils."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "The implementation of the curriculum is variable, particularly in the secondary phase."

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "Leaders are determined to ensure that pupils get the best start in life, regardless of their backgrounds."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that they identify improvement priorities precisely and that they monitor the impact of strategies to achieve these priorities rigorously"; "Leaders should ensure that teachers check pupils' understanding and address misconceptions or misunderstanding effectively before moving on with new learning"; "Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is implemented consistently well and that this is realised in pupils' achievement across the full curriculum and in outcomes in national tests and assessments"; "Leaders should ensure that staff understand and implement the pupil premium strategy consistently well to meet the needs of disadvantaged pupils"; "Leaders should ensure that they continue to implement the attendance strategy rigorously to further improve pupils' attendance across the school".

From the headteacher's welcome: "I am incredibly proud and privileged to welcome you to our wonderful school community as Executive Headteacher of Appleton Academy. Appleton Academy is an exceptional place to learn, grow and thrive. As an all-through academy, we are much more than a school; we are a family."

In 2026, pupils at Appleton Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 36, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 42.6 in Bradford and 47 across England.

24% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 40% in Bradford and 47% in England.

That is in line with 2025, when the score was 35.1.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.87: pupils made well below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 30.4, against 42.5 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 12.1 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 18 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Geography and Art and Design.

For September 2026 entry, 164 families put Appleton Academy as their first choice and 358 named it as one of their preferences, for 163 places offered. That is slightly more first choices than places. 16 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Appleton Academy are Lightcliffe Academy (1.6 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 37.3); Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy (1.8 miles, Inadequate, Attainment 8 35.3); Whitcliffe Mount, A Share Academy (2.1 miles, Attainment 8 45.7); and Co-op Academy Grange (2.2 miles, Inadequate, Attainment 8 30.1).

Appleton Academy's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.

Appleton Academy is one of 14 schools run by Exceed Academies Trust, an academy trust.

Of the 168 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 75% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 57% to a further education college, 6% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

50.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 10.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (76%), Mixed (7%) and Asian (5%).

In 2026, 303 pupils (25.1%) received SEN support and 77 (6.4%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.

Appleton Academy has a resourced provision for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, speech, language and communication needs and autism: 20 places, 20 pupils on roll.

The nearest railway station is Low Moor Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.

13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Woodside Road Appleton Academy, 110 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Appleton Academy stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 123 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Bradford (404).

In 2024/25, Appleton Academy issued 541 suspensions, 43.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Appleton Academy are Worthinghead Primary School (0.5 miles), Shirley Manor Primary School (0.6 miles), Hill Top CofE Primary School (0.9 miles) and Woodside Academy (1 mile). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.