St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy, Shipley
St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Shipley, part of Blessed Christopher Wharton Catholic Academy Trust. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 2nd-highest of the 12 schools in Shipley with published results, and 637th of 14,452 across England. It was 82% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Bradford (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy in detail
Results
In 2025, 94% of Year 6 pupils at St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 94% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 73% in Bradford and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 83% in reading and 78% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 13 families put St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy as their first choice and 24 named it as one of their preferences, for 14 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 St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy are Christ Church Church of England Academy (0.5 miles, Good, 73% reading, 73% maths); Low Ash Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 84% reading, 82% maths); Idle CofE Primary School (0.7 miles, Outstanding, 78% reading, 72% maths); and Hoyle Court Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 80% reading, 83% maths).
St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
Christ Church Church of England AcademyLow Ash Primary SchoolIdle CofE Primary SchoolHoyle Court Primary School
The trust
St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy is one of 19 schools run by Blessed Christopher Wharton Catholic Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 62% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
All 19 schools in Blessed Christopher Wharton Catholic Academy Trust
What parents say
13 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy (as of September 2025): 62% would recommend the school, 85% say their child is happy there and 60% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child does well at the school (100%); the weakest, that the school supports their child's wider development (46%).
Who goes there
40.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 24 pupils (22.2%) received SEN support and 5 (4.6%) 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.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Shipley Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.
22 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is High Busy Ln Lynden Avenue (adjacent), 80 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 252 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and burglary. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Bradford (404).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy issued 5 suspensions, 4.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no 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; Ofsted Parent View; 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 · 2 years agoOverall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in May 2020. Before that, as St Anthony's Catholic Primary School (URN 107348), it was rated Good in November 2016.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils thrive in this caring and welcoming school. The school's mission statement 'Let your words teach and your actions speak' is at the very heart of the school's ethos. Older pupils readily act as role models to younger pupils. They behave well because it is simply the right thing to do. Many pupils contribute to school life by organising events, including a harvest appeal. These opportunities support pupils to see the importance of helping others within the community and beyond.
Relationships between staff and pupils are strong. Behaviour in lessons and at social times is consistently positive. Pupils are taught routines and expectations from the early years. The strong culture of equality, justice and fairness helps everyone to feel happy and valued. Pupils also develop an age-appropriate understanding of how to keep physically and mentally healthy.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has taken steps to strengthen the curriculum in recent years. The revised curriculum is well thought out and sequenced to enable pupils to build on previous learning. Staff demonstrate secure subject knowledge in most subjects. Pupils enjoy their learning. Teachers regularly revisit important knowledge so that pupils remember it long term. They check pupils' understanding and address any gaps in learning swiftly and effectively. Some subject curriculums are now well developed, such as art, design, and history. Pupils achieve well in these lessons. They talk enthusiastically about what they have learned in history and proudly share their sketch books and finished pieces of work to showcase their accomplishments. A small number of subjects are yet to be reviewed. As a result, pupils are less enthusiastic about their learning in these lessons and the knowledge that they remember is variable.
Children make a positive start in the early years. They are happy and confident. Children benefit from the calm learning environment and the nurturing approach of adults. Staff readily engage in conversations with children to develop their spoken language and vocabulary.
From Ofsted's October 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.
At a Glance
40.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
13 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 83% to 94% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 78% to 94% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 78% to 100% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.0
Avg class size
27.5
KS2
3
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
You apply to the council where you live. St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary 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
- 10
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 8 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 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 St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy
Will you get a place at St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy.
- Bradford publishes last distance offered figures, but none for St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy for 2021 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.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
82%
Available places
115 pupils
140 places
25 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
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
24
SEN Support
5
EHC Plans
26.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
108
Total Pupils
57
Boys
51
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
6
Teachers
18.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,162
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,294
Per pupil
£807k
Total funding
£59k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.9%
Overall absence
16.7%
Persistent absence
102
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
St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy
Questions parents ask about St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy
What are SATs results like at St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy?
Of the pupils at St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 94% reached the expected standard in reading and 94% did so in maths.
What is St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?
St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in May 2020. Before that, as St Anthony's Catholic Primary School (URN 107348), it was rated Good in November 2016.
What is the catchment area for St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy?
No fixed boundary. When St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary 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 St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy?
St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 82% of its 140 places.
How big are the classes at St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy?
Classes at St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy average 28 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy?
St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy has around 108 pupils on roll. 41% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy?
4.9% of sessions were missed at St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy in 2024/25. 16.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy?
Apply through Bradford's coordinated admissions process, naming St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary 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.
How many road collisions happen near St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 8 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 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 St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy?
St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy is at High Busy Lane, Shipley, West Yorkshire, BD18 1HD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)