Barkerend Primary Leadership Academy, Bradford

From the headteacher's welcome: "Barkerend Primary Leadership Academy is part of Star Academies, one of the leading providers of education in the country, with an established reputation for academic excellence. At Star Academies, it is our mission to create outstanding schools that deliver the very best education to young people. Our culture is one of aspiration and high expectations."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, yoga, choir, orchestra, recorder, coding, Lego, eco club, art and photography.

Coming up: an open day on Tuesday 24 November 2026 and an open evening on Tuesday 24 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.

In 2025, 93% of Year 6 pupils at Barkerend Primary Leadership Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 93% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 73% in Bradford and 77% and 75% across England.

Results rose from 93% in reading and 85% in maths in 2024.

For September 2026 entry, 83 families put Barkerend Primary Leadership Academy as their first choice and 169 named it as one of their preferences, for 58 places offered. That is 1.4 first choices for every place. 25 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state primary schools to Barkerend Primary Leadership Academy are Byron Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 79% reading, 87% maths); Lift Feversham (0.4 miles, Outstanding, 90% reading, 90% maths); Co-op Academy Penny Oaks (0.5 miles, 79% reading, 69% maths); and Lapage Primary School and Nursery (0.5 miles, Good, 63% reading, 72% maths).

Barkerend Primary Leadership Academy's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.

Barkerend Primary Leadership Academy is one of 36 schools run by Star Academies, an academy trust.

Across the trust's primary schools, 85% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.

66 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Barkerend Primary Leadership Academy (as of September 2025): 99% would recommend the school, 99% say their child is happy there and 88% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (88%).

35.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 90.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are Asian (79%), Black (9%) and other ethnic groups (6%).

In 2026, 97 pupils (18.7%) received SEN support and 13 (2.5%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.

The nearest railway station is Bradford Foster Square Rail Station, about 1070 metres away (roughly a 13-minute walk).

10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bennie Street (opposite), 80 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Barkerend Primary Leadership 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 1197 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and drug offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Bradford (404), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Barkerend Primary Leadership Academy issued 5 suspensions, 0.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to Barkerend Primary Leadership Academy are Carlton Bolling (0.3 miles), Feversham Girls' Secondary Academy (0.7 miles), Laisterdyke Leadership Academy (0.9 miles) and Bronte Girls' Academy (0.9 miles).