Oastlers School, Bradford
Oastlers School is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 19 in Bradford, part of Exceed Academies Trust. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2026, ended in a report card: 7 exceptional.
- Ofsted report card
- 7 of 7 areas strong or better
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Oastlers School in detail
What Ofsted's report card says
Ofsted's report card from its 3 February 2026 inspection grades Oastlers School on 7 areas: 7 exceptional. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.
Achievement - Exceptional. "Pupils achieve exceptionally well from their starting points."
Attendance and behaviour - Exceptional. "Pupils develop a strong sense of belonging during their time at the school."
Curriculum and teaching - Exceptional. "Leaders have meticulously designed and implemented a coherently planned and sequenced curriculum."
Inclusion - Exceptional. "Leaders have established extremely successful and precisely tailored strategies that support pupils from the moment they join the school."
Leadership and governance - Exceptional. "Leaders, including those with responsibility for governance, have collectively developed a school in which pupils successfully overcome their previous difficulties."
Personal development and wellbeing - Exceptional. "Leaders have established a purposeful programme to support pupils' personal development."
Post 16 provision - Exceptional. "The school is highly ambitious for its post-16 students."
Safeguarding standards were met.
Read the full report card on Ofsted's site (school website)
Source: Ofsted report card (Open Government Licence), quoted
Oastlers School in its own words
In its own words: "Our 'Principles of Nurture' remain at the core of our approach towards our learners, our families and each other. They are defined as: As a fully registered Trauma Informed School UK, all our staff have extensive training in Adverse Childhood Experiences and how those troubled times impact on readiness for learning."
Coming up: an open day on Monday 2 November 2026 at 3.30pm. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Bradford
Vision and values (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Oastlers School are Bradford Beacon School (0.7 miles); Coleman Training Development Ltd (1.1 miles); School of Rock & Media Ltd (1.2 miles); and Co-op Academy Delius (1.5 miles, Good).
Bradford Beacon SchoolColeman Training Development LtdSchool of Rock & Media LtdCo-op Academy Delius
The trust
Oastlers School is one of 14 schools run by Exceed Academies Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
18 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Oastlers School (as of April 2026): 100% would recommend the school, 89% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that their child is happy at the school (89%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 28 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 71% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 29% to a further education college.
Who goes there
69.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 2.8% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (81%) and Mixed (10%).
Almost every pupil at Oastlers School has an education, health and care plan (179 of 179 in 2026). The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Bradford Interchange Rail Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bowling Park, 150 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Oastlers School 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, Oastlers School issued 14 suspensions, 8.5 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 8 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since November 2025)
Safeguarding standards met
- AchievementExceptional
- Attendance and behaviourExceptional
- Curriculum and teachingExceptional
- InclusionExceptional
- Leadership and governanceExceptional
- Personal development and wellbeingExceptional
- Post 16 provisionExceptional
Safeguarding standards: met
Oastlers School has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in March 2023. Before that, as Oastlers School (URN 138099), it was rated Outstanding in January 2023.
Ofsted's report card, in its own words
What it's like to be a pupil at Oastlers School
This school provides an exceptional standard of education. Pupils thrive because leaders are determined to reduce disadvantage and give pupils the best opportunities in preparation for adult life. Leaders have established and sustained a culture of high expectations and ambition for all pupils. This is underpinned by respectful and caring relationships. Leaders and staff are excellent role models. Pupils develop a deep sense of belonging at the school. They know their achievements will be celebrated. Pupils trust staff to help them when they have a concern. This helps pupils to feel safe and thrive. From the moment pupils join the school, leaders build close partnerships with pupils and their parents and carers. This enables staff to work together to understand how to support pupils' special educational needs and/or disabilities and remove barriers to their learning. Pupils recognise how the support they are given helps them to settle into the school. Through this, they develop the skills they need to be successful learners. This has a transformative impact on pupils' lives. Typically, pupils join the school having had low attendance in the past. Successful collaboration with pupils' families, coupled with the high-quality education and pastoral support the school provides, results in impressive gains in pupils' attendance. Pupils leave the school extremely well prepared for living independently and playing a full and active part in society. One pupil's view reflected that of many, telling inspectors, 'I have learned to want more from life. This school has helped me believe that I can achieve it.' Pupils behave exceptionally well. They consistently demonstrate extremely positive attitudes to their schoolwork. The school teaches pupils how to engage in conversations, discussions and debates. Pupils are thoughtful and respectful to staff, visitors and each other. Incidents of bullying or unkind behaviour are very rare. Pupils benefit from, and enjoy participating in, the range of clubs and experiences provided by the school. The school council actively contributes to the development of the opportunities provided. These enrich the school's curriculum. Pupils value taking part in residential visits, sporting events and fundraising activities.
From Ofsted's report card (inspection 3 February 2026). Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's February 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Oastlers School excels at helping pupils overcome significant learning barriers and achieve outstanding results, with nearly all students gaining qualifications that prepare them for successful futures. Staff build incredibly strong relationships based on trust and respect, creating a positive climate where pupils develop self-discipline and become excellent ambassadors for the school. The school's thoughtfully designed curriculum, combined with tailored support and partnerships with families, ensures every pupil flourishes educationally and personally.
Key Strengths
- Exceptional achievement - almost all pupils gain GCSEs and vocational qualifications by end of key stage 4 and secure sustained successful destinations
- Outstanding behaviour and attendance with pupils showing high self-discipline and dedication to learning
- Expertly designed curriculum that reduces barriers to learning and re-engages pupils while teaching both core knowledge and life skills
- Highly personalised support and inclusion strategies that transform outcomes for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND
- Exceptional leadership and governance that keeps pupils' needs at the heart of all decisions
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, concerns are actively identified and managed, and pupils feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Residential visits, sports events and competitions, variety of clubs and activities at breaktimes, employer visits and work experience opportunities in every year group
Oastlers School is an exceptional school where pupils achieve remarkably well from their starting points, making impressive progress through a carefully tailored curriculum. The school successfully transforms the life chances of pupils who have previously faced significant barriers to learning.
At a Glance
69.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
18 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at April 2026 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from Oastlers School
Craven College Open Days
29 Sep 2026
Summer Results 2026
2 Sep 2026
Exceptional Ofsted Inspection - February 2026
13 May 2026
Speech and Language Advice Line
19 Mar 2026
Craven College open days 2026
17 Mar 2026
International School Award
16 Oct 2025
From Oastlers School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Oastlers School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Oastlers School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Oastlers School 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
- 30
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 10
- Children hurt
- 17
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 30 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 10 serious and 19 slight.
17 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 8 on foot, 3 on a bicycle and 6 in a vehicle or otherwise.
6 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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
124%
Over capacity
179 pupils
144 places
35 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
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.
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
179
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
179
Total Pupils
160
Boys
19
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
27
Teachers
6.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£56,127
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
21.4%
Overall absence
52.0%
Persistent absence
152
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
Oastlers School
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Oastlers School
What are GCSE results like at Oastlers School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Oastlers School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 12.1. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Oastlers School's Ofsted rating?
Oastlers School has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in March 2023. Before that, as Oastlers School (URN 138099), it was rated Outstanding in January 2023.
What is the catchment area for Oastlers School?
No fixed boundary. When Oastlers School is oversubscribed, Bradford allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Oastlers School?
Oastlers School has around 179 pupils on roll. 70% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Oastlers School?
21.4% of sessions were missed at Oastlers School in 2024/25. 52% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Oastlers School?
Apply through Bradford's coordinated admissions process, naming Oastlers School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Oastlers School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 30 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 10 serious and 19 slight. 17 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 8 on foot, 3 on a bicycle and 6 in a vehicle or otherwise. 6 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 Oastlers School?
Oastlers School is at Flockton Road, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD4 7RH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)