The Holy Family Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy, Keighley

Secondary
Academy sponsor led
Mixed
Roman Catholic
Ages 1116

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~1.2km)Possible (~1.8km)Unlikely (~2.3km)Confidence: medium

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data. Admissions policy: Non-selective

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Ms S Mather
Pupils:630 / 992 capacity
LA:Bradford
Phone:01535210212
Address:Spring Gardens Lane, Keighley, BD20 6LH
Trust:BLESSED CHRISTOPHER WHARTON CATHOLIC ACADEMY TRUST
Admissions:Non-selective
Status:open
Opened:1 August 2022

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 1 year ago
-

Overall

Requires Improvement

Quality of Education

Requires Improvement

Behaviour & Attitudes

Requires Improvement

Personal Development

Requires Improvement

Leadership & Management

Requires Improvement

Sixth Form

Inspected 2 April 2025View full report
URN:149299
UKPRN:10090983
Diocese:Diocese of Leeds (rc)
Constituency:Keighley and Ilkley
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

The school does an excellent job supporting pupils' wellbeing and mental health, with a caring pastoral team that pupils trust. Staff are skilled at adapting lessons for pupils with additional needs, ensuring they access the full curriculum. The school also has a strong reading support programme that effectively helps younger pupils catch up if they arrive with lower reading ages.

Key Strengths

  • Effective support for pupils with SEND, including those in the specially resourced provision
  • Strong reading support programme that helps weaker readers catch up with their peers
  • Well-developed mental health support and pastoral care that pupils value
  • Positive behaviour and strong sense of community in the sixth form
  • Safe school environment where pupils feel respected and supported

Areas for Improvement

  • Not all subjects have clearly identified and sequenced important knowledge that pupils need to learn
  • Teachers don't consistently check pupils' understanding or address gaps in knowledge
  • High rates of pupil absence, particularly among disadvantaged pupils, affecting learning
  • Boisterous behaviour and poor language use during lesson changeovers when pupils are unsupervised
  • Leaders don't fully use available information to monitor the impact of new strategies

Safeguarding

Safeguarding arrangements are effective and in place to keep pupils safe.

Extracurricular Activities

retro games club, crafts club, science research club, work experience for Year 10 pupils, life skills programme in sixth form

The Holy Family Catholic School is a secondary academy with a sixth-form provision that requires improvement across all areas. While pupils are safe and well-supported, achievement is significantly below national averages and the school faces challenges in curriculum delivery and behaviour management.

At a Glance

46.3%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder

SEN Provision

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

52 responses
Would recommend23%
Child is happy39%
Well taught42%
Good progress48%
Feels safe42%
Well behaved35%
Bullying dealt with2%
Kept informed56%
Handles concerns21%
Wider development35%

Source: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree

Class Sizes

23.9

Avg class size

28

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

Holy Family Catholic School (stop B)
57m · 1 min walk
Spring Gardens Ln Holy Family School (after)
74m · 1 min walk
Spring Gardens Ln Holy Family Sch
82m · 1 min walk
Spring Gardens Lane
93m · 2 min walk
Spring Gardens Ln Spring Gdns Mt (at)
235m · 4 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

64%

Available places

630 pupils

992 capacity

362 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Keighley

Low pressure
New homes approved:972
Projected new pupils:175

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Keighley

Admissions Demand - Bradford

Low demand1.05x oversubscription

Places available

7,315

Applications

7,685

Got 1st preference

77.4%

Got preferred school

93.7%

Secondary admissions across Bradford (2025/26)

Inspection History

2 April 2025
Quality of EducationRequires Improvement
Behaviour & AttitudesRequires Improvement
Personal DevelopmentRequires Improvement
Leadership & ManagementRequires Improvement
Sixth FormRequires Improvement

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

12.54025%

Overall absence

38.74126%

Persistent absence

715

Enrolments

Authorised6.46422%
Unauthorised6.07603%
Persistent (10%+)38.74126%
Severe (50%+)5.87413%

Absence trend

11.19496%
22/23
12.97791%
23/24
12.54025%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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