Carrwood Primary School

About Carrwood Primary School

Carrwood Primary School in Bradford was rated Good in its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023, a significant improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2019. The school now holds Good across all five inspection categories: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. However, the most telling academic metric is the Key Stage 2 combined expected standard in reading, writing and maths, where just 25% of pupils reached the benchmark in the 2023/24 academic year. This places the school in the bottom 50 nationally, ranking 13466 out of 13686 primary schools, and 150th out of 153 schools in the Bradford local authority. The school's ranking score of 25 puts it well below the local authority average of 59 for KS2 combined expected attainment.

Breaking down the individual subjects, 48% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, 53% in writing, and 35% in maths. Higher standard attainment was low across the board, with 13% reaching the higher standard in reading, 10% in maths, and just 5% in both writing and the combined measure. Average scores were 101 in reading and 100 in maths, both close to the national average of 100 but not compensating for the low combined figure. The school's Progress 8 scores are not available, so it is unclear how much value the school adds relative to pupils' starting points. With 60.2% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a significantly disadvantaged community, which likely contextualises these outcomes. Ofsted noted that the school has improved its curriculum and leadership, but the academic results suggest there is still considerable ground to cover compared with local peers.

Carrwood is a state primary for children aged 2 to 11, with nursery provision on site. It offers a wide range of facilities including a library, forest school, sensory room, gymnasium, art studios, and playing fields. Sports include netball, cricket, football, gymnastics, tennis, cross country, and swimming, while clubs cover art, drama, science, and coding. The school has an extensive SEND offer, with provisions for moderate learning difficulties, social emotional and mental health needs, speech language and communication needs, hearing and visual impairments, physical disabilities, autistic spectrum disorder, and a resourced provision. For the 2025/26 intake, the school was oversubscribed: 48 applications for 28 places, with 30 first-preference applications and 28 first-preference offers. This suggests strong local demand despite the academic results. Carrwood will suit families who value a broad range of facilities and SEND support and who are comfortable with a school that is improving from a low base but still has significant academic ground to make up.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About Carrwood Primary School

Helpful Guides for Parents