St Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy, Shipley
St Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Shipley, part of Blessed Christopher Wharton Catholic Academy Trust. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 3rd-highest of the 12 schools in Shipley with published results, and 1,534th of 14,452 across England. It was 98% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2012)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
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 Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy in detail
Results
In 2025, 90% of Year 6 pupils at St Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 90% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 73% in Bradford and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 81% in reading and 81% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 24 families put St Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy as their first choice and 79 named it as one of their preferences, for 24 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at St Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy are Wycliffe CofE Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 67% reading, 58% maths); Saltaire Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 77% reading, 77% maths); Shipley CofE Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 54% reading, 68% maths); and Baildon Glen Primary School (0.8 miles, 39% reading, 46% maths).
St Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
Wycliffe CofE Primary SchoolSaltaire Primary SchoolShipley CofE Primary SchoolBaildon Glen Primary School
The trust
St Walburga'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
76 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy (as of September 2025): 90% would recommend the school, 97% say their child is happy there and 62% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (97%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (62%).
Who goes there
9.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 10.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (58%), Asian (21%) and Mixed (8%).
Staffing
St Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy had 13 teachers in 2026, one for every 16 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Saltaire Rail Station, about 720 metres away (roughly a 9-minute walk).
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Kirkgate, 250 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy issued 5 suspensions, 2.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy are Titus Salt School (0.7 miles), Dixons Cottingley Academy (1.1 miles), Beckfoot Upper Heaton (1.3 miles) and Belle Vue Girls' Academy (1.3 miles).
Titus Salt SchoolDixons Cottingley AcademyBeckfoot Upper HeatonBelle Vue Girls' Academy
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; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from May 2012, 14 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St Walburga's is an inclusive school where pupils are happy, well-behaved and eager to learn. Teachers have strong subject knowledge and adapt lessons carefully so all children, including those with additional needs, can access an ambitious curriculum. The school puts real emphasis on pupils' wellbeing and personal growth, helping them develop confidence and responsibility alongside academic skills.
Key Strengths
- Strong Catholic ethos creating a positive, supportive culture where all pupils feel safe and included
- Ambitious, well-structured curriculum with excellent phonics teaching and effective support for pupils with SEND
- Excellent pupil behaviour throughout the school with clear expectations, routines and rewards
- Strong focus on wellbeing and personal development, including leadership opportunities for pupils
- Early years environment is calm and engaging, helping children develop communication skills and confidence
Areas for Improvement
- Teaching of handwriting needs further attention - some pupils are not forming letters accurately, which impacts their written work
- Communication methods between school and home are too varied - some parents do not feel fully informed about key updates and activities
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Sport clubs, arts clubs, 'wow days', residential trips, breakfast club
St Walburga's Catholic Primary School has maintained the good standards from its previous inspection. The school is built on a strong Catholic ethos with polite, respectful pupils who achieve well in a safe, inclusive environment.
At a Glance
9.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
76 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 81% to 90% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 81% to 90% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 77% to 87% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.6
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
29.3
KS2
7
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy.
- St Walburga's After School Club LtdAt the school · Not yet graded
- Kip McGrath Partnership650m away · Not yet graded
- Kanga Kare Shipley770m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
You apply to the council where you live. St Walburga'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
- 26
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 6
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 26 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 20 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
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
Your chances of a place at St Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy
Will you get a place at St Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy.
- Bradford publishes last distance offered figures, but none for St Walburga'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 Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary 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.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
98%
Near capacity
206 pupils
210 places
4 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(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
37
SEN Support
11
EHC Plans
21.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
225
Total Pupils
114
Boys
111
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
13
Teachers
17.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,939
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,172
Per pupil
£1183k
Total funding
£39k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.1%
Overall absence
2.8%
Persistent absence
181
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 Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy
Questions parents ask about St Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy
What are SATs results like at St Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy?
Of the pupils at St Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 90% reached the expected standard in reading and 90% did so in maths.
What is St Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?
St Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2012, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy?
No fixed boundary. When St Walburga'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 Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy?
St Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy was close to full in 2025, at 98% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at St Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy?
Classes at St Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy average 29.6 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy?
St Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy has around 225 pupils on roll. 9% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy?
3.1% of sessions were missed at St Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy in 2024/25. 2.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy?
Apply through Bradford's coordinated admissions process, naming St Walburga'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.
Does St Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: St Walburga's After School Club Ltd (registered, not yet graded). There are 2 more within a kilometre. The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near St Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 26 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 20 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 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 St Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy?
St Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy is at Victoria Park, Shipley, West Yorkshire, BD18 4RL.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)