Carlton Bolling, Bradford

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, netball, rugby, cricket, badminton, drama, choir, chess, coding and cooking.

In 2026, pupils at Carlton Bolling averaged an Attainment 8 score of 43.8, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 42.6 in Bradford and 47 across England.

38% 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 44.4.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.27: pupils made above 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 39.4, against 47.8 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 8.4 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 25 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Geography and Art and Design.

For September 2026 entry, 365 families put Carlton Bolling as their first choice and 712 named it as one of their preferences, for 288 places offered. That is 1.3 first choices for every place. 91 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Carlton Bolling are Feversham Girls' Secondary Academy (0.4 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 55.3); Valley Academy (0.9 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 41.1); Laisterdyke Leadership Academy (1.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 38.1); and Hanson Academy (1.1 miles, Attainment 8 36.3).

Carlton Bolling's 2026 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.

Carlton Bolling is one of 8 schools run by Carlton Academy Trust, an academy trust.

Of the 323 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 87% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 43% to a further education college, 0% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

46.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 56.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are Asian (80%) and Mixed (5%).

Carlton Bolling had 125 teachers in 2026, one for every 13 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical secondary school, at about one for every 17.

The nearest railway station is Bradford Foster Square Rail Station, about 1080 metres away (roughly a 13-minute walk).

15 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Carlton Bolling College (opposite), 120 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Carlton Bolling 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 1138 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Bradford (404), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Carlton Bolling issued 185 suspensions, 11.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Carlton Bolling are Barkerend Primary Leadership Academy (0.3 miles), Westminster Church of England Primary Academy (0.4 miles), Peel Park Primary School and Nursery (0.4 miles) and Byron Primary School (0.4 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.