High Crags Primary Leadership Academy, Shipley
High Crags Primary Leadership Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Shipley, part of Star Academies. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 9th-highest of the 12 schools in Shipley with published results, and 11,772nd of 14,452 across England. It was 69% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Bradford (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
High Crags Primary Leadership Academy in detail
High Crags Primary Leadership Academy in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "In keeping with our mission of educational excellence, character development and service to communities, we believe all of our pupils should be engaged and challenged by their learning and we use a wide variety of teaching strategies, skills and up-to-date learning resources in order to achieve this."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, rugby, cricket, basketball, multi-sports, dance, choir, orchestra, coding and art.
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:15am and after-school care.
Coming up: an open day on Wednesday 11 November 2026 at 4pm and an open day on Thursday 12 November 2026 at 4pm. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Bradford
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 60% of Year 6 pupils at High Crags Primary Leadership Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 71% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 73% in Bradford and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 86% in reading and 78% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at High Crags Primary Leadership Academy
For September 2026 entry, 28 families put High Crags Primary Leadership Academy as their first choice and 52 named it as one of their preferences, for 32 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 High Crags Primary Leadership Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to High Crags Primary Leadership Academy are Shipley CofE Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 54% reading, 68% maths); Low Ash Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 84% reading, 82% maths); Frizinghall Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 73% reading, 69% maths); and Christ Church Church of England Academy (0.5 miles, Good, 73% reading, 73% maths).
High Crags Primary Leadership Academy's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
Shipley CofE Primary SchoolLow Ash Primary SchoolFrizinghall Primary SchoolChrist Church Church of England Academy
The trust
High Crags 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.
Who goes there
42.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 50 pupils (16.1%) received SEN support and 19 (6.1%) 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.
High Crags Primary Leadership Academy has a resourced provision for speech, language and communication needs: 6 places, 6 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Shipley Rail Station, about 530 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).
22 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Crag Road Fair Bank (adjacent), 70 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood High Crags 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.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, High Crags Primary Leadership Academy issued 24 suspensions, 7.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.
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; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; 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 agoThis judgement is from March 2019, 7 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
This school has high aspirations for its pupils. Staff teach pupils to treat each other with care and kindness. The school's ambition for its pupils is evident through the curriculum they are taught. Pupils follow clear and consistent routines. They feel and are safe. Relationships in school are strong. Pupils trust adults to help them with any problems. As one pupil said about teachers, 'If you have a problem, they will be there to help you.'
Pupils move around and through the school calmly and with purpose. Pupils who find it difficult to self-regulate their behaviour are skilfully supported by staff who understand their needs well. Pupils develop positive learning behaviours. Staff use consistent strategies in lessons to develop these behaviours. These behaviours give pupils the best chance of being successful in their learning. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are quickly identified and well supported. Pupils enjoy their learning. They speak confidently about their learning in different subjects.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
Pupils are taught an ambitious curriculum. Some pupils with SEND in the 'Resource-Led Provision' (RLP) receive a more individualised approach to the curriculum and how it is delivered. Subject leaders ensure that pupils are taught what they need to know in an order that builds their knowledge over time. The knowledge, vocabulary and subject-specific skills that pupils are to be taught are carefully mapped out at each stage of learning. The school has ensured that the provision in the early years supports children to be successful in their future learning. For example, in Nursery children learn about different representations of the number five and how these help them to add and subtract. In lessons, staff use consistent teaching strategies to deliver the curriculum. For example, each lesson begins with a 'do now activity' that helps pupils to recall the knowledge from previous lessons. This knowledge helps them to understand their new learning. Pupils explain their learning expertly. For example, Year 6 pupils talk confidently about what made the Mayan empire unique. The school's published outcomes in 2023 do not reflect the standard of education that pupils are receiving currently.
From Ofsted's June 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its March 2019 inspection - up from Inadequate.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
42.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: Speech and language
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 86% to 60% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 78% to 71% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 81% to 71% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
23.6
Avg class size
25.0
Infant (KS1)
23.8
KS2
13
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with High Crags Primary Leadership Academy
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near High Crags Primary Leadership Academy.
- Kanga Kare Shipley530m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to High Crags Primary Leadership Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. High Crags Primary Leadership 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
- 31
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 7
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 31 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 24 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
4 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 High Crags Primary Leadership Academy
Will you get a place at High Crags Primary Leadership Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against High Crags Primary Leadership Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for High Crags Primary Leadership Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to High Crags Primary Leadership Academy.
- Bradford publishes last distance offered figures, but none for High Crags Primary Leadership Academy that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at High Crags Primary Leadership 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
69%
Available places
289 pupils
420 places
131 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Shipley
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Shipley
Across Bradford council
Places available
7,475
Applications
6,301
Got 1st preference
92.3%
Got preferred school
98.6%
All primary applications across Bradford council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
50
SEN Support
19
EHC Plans
22.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
High Crags Primary Leadership Academy has a resourced provision for speech, language and communication needs: 6 places, 6 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
311
Total Pupils
140
Boys
171
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
16
Teachers
19.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,269
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,762
Per pupil
£1994k
Total funding
£203k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.5%
Overall absence
24.5%
Persistent absence
274
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
High Crags Primary Leadership Academy
Questions parents ask about High Crags Primary Leadership Academy
What are SATs results like at High Crags Primary Leadership Academy?
Of the pupils at High Crags Primary Leadership Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 60% reached the expected standard in reading and 71% did so in maths.
What is High Crags Primary Leadership Academy's Ofsted rating?
High Crags Primary Leadership Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for High Crags Primary Leadership Academy?
No fixed boundary. When High Crags Primary Leadership 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 High Crags Primary Leadership Academy?
High Crags Primary Leadership Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 69% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at High Crags Primary Leadership Academy?
Classes at High Crags Primary Leadership Academy average 23.6 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to High Crags Primary Leadership Academy?
High Crags Primary Leadership Academy has around 311 pupils on roll. 43% are eligible for free school meals.
Does High Crags Primary Leadership Academy have specialist SEN provision?
High Crags Primary Leadership Academy has a resourced provision for speech, language and communication needs: 6 places, 6 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at High Crags Primary Leadership Academy?
7.5% of sessions were missed at High Crags Primary Leadership Academy in 2024/25. 24.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to High Crags Primary Leadership Academy?
Apply through Bradford's coordinated admissions process, naming High Crags Primary Leadership Academy on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does High Crags Primary Leadership Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of High Crags Primary Leadership Academy: Kanga Kare Shipley (530m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near High Crags Primary Leadership Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 31 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 24 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 4 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 High Crags Primary Leadership Academy?
High Crags Primary Leadership Academy is at Pratt Lane, Shipley, West Yorkshire, BD18 2ES.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)