Carlton Bolling
107%
Capacity
1,630
Pupils
2.7x
Demand
About Carlton Bolling
Carlton Bolling sits within the Bradford local authority, a large secondary school for 11 to 16 year olds that ranks 8th out of 34 schools of its type in the area, placing it in the top quarter locally. Among its peers in the same local authority, the three highest-ranked schools are Dixons Trinity Academy, Feversham Girls' Secondary Academy, and Dixons Cottingley Academy, all of which have higher Progress 8 scores. The school is one of eight Bradford secondaries currently rated Outstanding by Ofsted, and the nearest Outstanding-rated school to it is Feversham Girls' Secondary Academy, just 0.6 kilometres away. Headteacher Mohammed Azum leads a school that is significantly oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 academic year, there were 770 applications for 287 places, with 404 first-preference applications and 265 first-preference offers, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.68. The school operates as a mixed, non-religious state school with no sixth form or nursery provision.
Academically, Carlton Bolling delivers results that sit comfortably above the local average. Its Progress 8 score of 0.27 is classified as 'Above average' nationally, and compares very favourably with the Bradford local authority average of -0.19. The school's Attainment 8 score is 43, and 55.1 per cent of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths, compared with 38.7 per cent at grade 5 or above. The EBacc average point score is 3.58, with 40.6 per cent of pupils entering the EBacc combination of subjects. In its most recent graded Ofsted inspection in 2017, the school was rated Outstanding overall, with Outstanding for leadership and management and Good for sixth form provision. An ungraded inspection in 2023 confirmed the school remains Outstanding. This marks a significant turnaround from its previous inspection in 2015, when it was rated Requires Improvement.
The school is well equipped with facilities including a swimming pool, sports hall, tennis courts, astro turf, a theatre, and playing fields, and offers a wide range of sports from basketball and rugby to rowing and martial arts. Clubs include art, orchestra, film, coding, book club, Model UN, debate, and chess. For pupils with additional needs, the school has provisions for moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. With 41.3 per cent of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a diverse and economically varied catchment. Given its strong academic outcomes, oversubscribed status, and wide range of extracurricular activities, Carlton Bolling is a strong choice for families in Bradford seeking a high-performing, inclusive secondary that has clearly improved its standing in recent years.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 16 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Undercliffe Lane, Bradford, Bradford, BD3 0DU |
| Headteacher | Mohammed Azum |
| Local Authority | Bradford |
| Number of Pupils | 1,630 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 41.3% |
| School Capacity | 1,630 / 1,524 (107% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
11 May 2023Overall Effectiveness
Outstanding
Latest inspection (11 May 2023): School remains Outstanding
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 16 Nov 2017. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.27)
916th of 3,141
Nationally
79th of 306
In Yorkshire and the Humber
8th of 34
In Bradford
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make more progress than similar students nationally
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2311%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 285 pupils).
- FE college47%
- Sixth form college27%
- School sixth form (stay)11%
- Not sustained8%
- Employment2%
- Apprenticeship1%
88% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
13Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
20Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed287
770
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
404 families put this school as their 1st choice (52% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Among the highest-disadvantage schools.
Among the highest 25% — a diverse linguistic intake.
Ethnic background
- Asian81.2%
- Mixed4.5%
- White (other)2.8%
- White British1.5%
- Black0.3%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
16
Total schools
15
Oversubscribed
12
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
Frequently Asked Questions About Carlton Bolling
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Undercliffe Lane, Bradford
Bradford, BD3 0DU
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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