St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy, Bradford

Ofsted's report card from its 16 June 2026 inspection grades St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy on 7 areas: 6 expected standard and 1 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Expected standard. "Most pupils make positive progress through the curriculum from their starting points."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have established a curriculum with high ambition for all pupils."

Early years - Expected standard. "Children in the early years settle quickly into well-established routines."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders are ambitious for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders have high expectations for the school and are role models of professionalism."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have developed a well-considered programme for pupils' personal development."

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "Pupils' attendance, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged, is below the national average."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should continue their work to improve pupils' attendance, including for the most disadvantaged pupils"; "Leaders should ensure that there is sufficient focus on handwriting, letter formation and pencil grip so that all pupils build fluency and accuracy in their writing"; "Leaders should ensure that children in the early years consistently benefit from high-quality interactions with adults so that they make secure progress through the curriculum and achieve their potential".

In 2025, 71% of Year 6 pupils at St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary 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 83% in reading and 75% in maths in 2024.

With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.

For September 2026 entry, 17 families put St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy as their first choice and 23 named it as one of their preferences, for 17 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy are Ley Top Primary School (0.1 miles, Requires improvement, 65% reading, 47% maths); The Academy At St. James (0.3 miles, Good, 68% reading, 59% maths); Beckfoot Allerton Primary School and Nursery (0.3 miles, Requires improvement, 61% reading, 54% maths); and Crossley Hall Academy (0.9 miles, Good, 65% reading, 65% maths).

St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.

St Matthew'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.

13 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy (as of September 2026): 85% would recommend the school, 85% say their child is happy there and 75% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (85%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (75%).

26.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (39%), Mixed (15%) and Black (14%).

In 2026, 23 pupils (10.6%) received SEN support and 7 (3.2%) 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.

The nearest railway station is Frizinghall Rail Station, about 2.5 miles away in a straight line.

11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bell Dean Road Top, 80 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In 2024/25, St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy issued 3 suspensions, 1.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy are Dixons Allerton Academy (0.4 miles), Beckfoot Thornton (0.6 miles), Beckfoot Upper Heaton (1.4 miles) and Belle Vue Girls' Academy (1.4 miles).