Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy, Bradford
Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Bradford, part of Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust. It was rated Inadequate at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2023. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in April 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 24th-highest of the 28 schools in Bradford with published results, and 3,089th of 3,298 across England. It was 87% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Inadequate (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
- Progress (2024)
- Well below average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Bradford (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy in detail
Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy in its own words
In its own words: "We are delighted to extend a very warm welcome to our happy, ambitious and vibrant school. We are very proud of what we all achieve together to ensure that all in the BBEC family stay safe, achieve well and enjoy fantastic experiences."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2026, pupils at Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 35.3, 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 down from 36.6 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.83: 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 26.1, against 42.7 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 16.6 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 22 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Art and Design.
Getting a place at Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy
For September 2026 entry, 173 families put Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy as their first choice and 305 named it as one of their preferences, for 243 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy are Co-op Academy Grange (0.9 miles, Inadequate, Attainment 8 30.1); Dixons Kings Academy (1.8 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 54.7); Dixons City Academy (1.8 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 52.5); and Appleton Academy (1.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 36).
Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy's 2026 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
Co-op Academy GrangeDixons Kings AcademyDixons City AcademyAppleton Academy
The trust
Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy is one of 21 schools run by Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 38.6 in 2024/25.
What parents say
64 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy (as of September 2025): 64% would recommend the school, 78% say their child is happy there and 54% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school has high expectations for their child (78%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (54%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 290 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 77% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 61% to a further education college, 6% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.
Who goes there
46.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 6.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (75%), Mixed (9%) and Asian (8%).
In 2026, 240 pupils (18.1%) received SEN support and 84 (6.3%) 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.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Low Moor Rail Station, about 1.9 miles away in a straight line.
14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Buttershaw BEC, 100 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy issued 2731 suspensions, 193 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 23 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy are Reevy Hill Primary School (0.2 miles), Farfield Primary and Nursery School (0.3 miles), St John the Evangelist Catholic Primary School (0.6 miles) and St Paul's CofE Primary School (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Reevy Hill Primary SchoolFarfield Primary and Nursery SchoolSt John the Evangelist Catholic Primary SchoolSt Paul's CofE Primary School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's April 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The school has improved how lessons are structured, helping pupils understand how to use what they've learned. Teachers are now checking understanding and addressing misconceptions more consistently. Strong support is in place for pupils developing their reading skills, and the school offers a good range of clubs to help pupils develop their talents in fitness, music and the arts.
Key Strengths
- Improved classroom climate with clearer lesson structures helping pupils understand how to apply their learning
- Strong reading support in key stage 3, particularly for pupils in early stages of reading
- Effective careers guidance helping pupils develop aspirations and progression routes
- Pupils benefit from clubs including fitness, music and arts to develop talents and interests
- Safeguarding arrangements are effective and pupils feel safe
Areas for Improvement
- Inconsistent identification and support for pupils with SEND - teachers don't always receive the information they need to help these pupils effectively
- Pupil attendance remains too low, particularly for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils
- Behaviour policy not yet consistently applied, especially during social times
- Personal development curriculum doesn't adequately teach pupils about protected characteristics and respect for diversity
- Changes implemented are still variable in impact across the school
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with strong oversight and an open, positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Fitness clubs, music clubs, arts clubs
Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy requires improvement across all areas. The school has made significant changes to improve learning and behaviour, with some positive impact in lessons, though further work is needed particularly during social times and in supporting pupils with SEND.
At a Glance
46.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
64 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has remained stable at around -0.83 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has declined from 35.6 to 35.3 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has remained stable at around 24% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 35.3 | 24% |
| Disadvantaged(121) | - | 26.1 | 9.9% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(150) | - | 42.7 | 35.3% |
| Boys(146) | - | 34.9 | 23.3% |
| Girls(125) | - | 35.7 | 24.8% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(10) | - | 41.6 | 50% |
| Non mobile(260) | - | 35.7 | 24.6% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 2 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 290 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
23
Permanent exclusions
1.63%
Exclusion rate
2731
Suspensions
193.00%
Suspension rate
356 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 1,415 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy is in Bradford; for families living there:
- Bradford's school travel policy: Home to school travel and transport policy for children of compulsory school age
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 21
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 7
- Children hurt
- 10
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 21 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 14 slight.
10 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 7 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
7 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Bradford is 30 (the median across 233 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy
Will you get a place at Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy.
- Bradford publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy for 2017 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Bradford got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
87%
Available places
1,403 pupils
1,610 places
207 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Bradford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Bradford
Across Bradford council
Places available
7,308
Applications
7,489
Got 1st preference
78.1%
Got preferred school
94.4%
All secondary applications across Bradford council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
240
SEN Support
84
EHC Plans
24.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
1,325
Total Pupils
672
Boys
653
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
82
Teachers
16.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,176
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£8,572
Per pupil
£13306k
Total funding
£702k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
13.7%
Overall absence
38.8%
Persistent absence
1,502
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy
What are GCSE results like at Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 35.3. 24% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy's Ofsted rating?
Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2023, it was rated Inadequate.
What is the catchment area for Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy is oversubscribed, Bradford allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy?
Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 87% of its 1610 places.
How big are the classes at Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy?
Classes at Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy average 20.9 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy?
Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy has around 1325 pupils on roll. 46% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy?
13.7% of sessions were missed at Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy in 2024/25. 38.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy?
Apply through Bradford's coordinated admissions process, naming Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 21 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 14 slight. 10 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 7 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 7 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Bradford is 30 (the median across 233 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy?
Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy is at Reevy Road West, Buttershaw, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD6 3PX.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)