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Academy sponsor led · Bradford

Appleton Academy

  • 3–16Ages
  • 1,207Pupils
  • All-throughPhase
  • 145173URN

Woodside Road, Bradford, BD12 8AL · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school
Latest Ofsted

Report card · inspected Jun 2026

  • Exceptional
  • Strong standard
  • Expected standard
  • Needs attention
  • Urgent improvement

Safeguarding standards met

What Ofsted found
Applications per place · Sept 2026
2.2per place
close to Bradford median (2.4)
Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther secondary schools in Bradford

358 applications for 163 places · 20th of 35 in Bradford
Every year since 2014
Attainment 8 · 2025/26 (provisional)
36.0of 90
28th of 35 in Bradford
All GCSE results

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026
Report card · inspected 16 June 2026Published 16 July 2026 · safeguarding standards met · no overall grade
AreaExceptionalStrong standardExpected standardNeeds attentionUrgent improvement
InclusionExpected standard
Curriculum and teachingNeeds attention
AchievementNeeds attention
Attendance and behaviourExpected standard
Personal development and wellbeingExpected standard
Early yearsExpected standard
Post-16 provisionDoes not apply to this school
Leadership and governanceNeeds attention
  • Exceptional
  • Strong standard
  • Expected standard
  • Needs attention
  • Urgent improvement
  • Does not apply

Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

Inspection history

  1. 16 June 2026
    Report card · 4 Expected standard, 3 Needs attention
  2. 3 November 2021
    Graded inspection: Good

Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades

About these grades

Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.

How hard is it to get a place?

DfE · Sept 2026 entry
2.2applications per place, Year 7
close to Bradford median (2.4) close to England median (2.2)

358 applications · 163 places offered · 164 named it first

HistoryEarlier years not shown: formed from, or split from, other schools.

  1. 2026 2.2; Bradford median median 2.4
  2. 2025 2.1; Bradford median median 2.4
  3. 2024 2.2; Bradford median median 2.5
  4. 2023 1.8; Bradford median median 2.3
  5. 2022 2.0; Bradford median median 2.5
  6. 2021 1.9; Bradford median median 2.5
  7. 2020 1.9; Bradford median median 2.3
  8. 2019 2.3; Bradford median median 2.4
  9. 2018 2.3; Bradford median median 2.7
  10. 2017 2.6; Bradford median median 3.0; as the previous school
  11. 2016 2.7; Bradford median median 4.3; as the previous school
  12. 2015 2.4; Bradford median median 4.1; as the previous school
  13. 2014 2.6; Bradford median median 3.9; as the previous school
More applications per place than the Bradford median in 0 of 9 years.
  • This school
  • Bradford median

Dashed bars: as Appleton Academy (URN 135865), the previous school.

Reception entry, September 2026: 2.1 per place (50 applications for 24 places).

Year 7 applications for September 2027 close 31 October 2026, through your council

Reception applications for September 2027 close 15 January 2027, through your council

How this is measured

Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.

EntryPlacesApplicationsPer placeFirst preferencesFirst-pref. ratio
Sep 20261633582.21641.01
Sep 20251723622.11590.92
Sep 20241733752.21660.96
Sep 20231983581.81410.71
Sep 20221873742.01470.79
Sep 20211743241.91230.71
Sep 20201713291.91380.81
Sep 20191583702.31460.92
Sep 20181764022.31560.89
Sep 2017 *1774582.61630.92
Sep 2016 *1634362.71400.86
Sep 2015 *1633952.41540.94
Sep 2014 *1634232.61370.84

How did pupils do at GCSE?

DfE KS4 · 2025/26 provisional

168 pupils took GCSEs in 2025/26.

Attainment 8 (out of 90)36.028th of 35 in Bradford
Grade 5 or above in English and maths24%32nd of 35 in Bradford
Grade 4 or above in English and maths47%
  • This school
  • Bradford median
  • England median
Progress 8 (2023/24, the latest published)−0.87
−20 = national average+2
Every year as a table
YearPupilsAttainment 85+ Eng & maths4+ Eng & mathsProgress 8
2025/26 (prov.)16836.024%47%–
2024/2516335.127%42%–
2023/2416834.121%40%−0.87
2022/2315938.424%45%−0.56

Progress 8 is not published for 2024/25 or 2025/26: those pupils had no key stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021.

Schools nearby

The 8 nearest secondary schools in a straight line, in any local authority

  • Exceptional
  • Strong standard
  • Expected standard
  • Needs attention
  • Urgent improvement
  • Does not apply

Eight dots, one per area: inclusion, curriculum, achievement, attendance, personal development, early years, post-16, leadership. Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

School details

Type
Academy sponsor led
Phase
All-through
URN · DfE number
145173 · 380/4061
Trust
Exceed Academies Trust
Capacity
1,378 pupils · 1,207 on roll
Free school meals
50.8% of pupils (England median 23%)
SEN provision
Resourced provision
Nursery
Has nursery classes
Opened
1 September 2017
Replaced
Appleton Academy (URN 135865)
Address
Woodside Road, Bradford, BD12 8AL
Local authority
Bradford

Data last changed 19 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources