Parkwood Primary School

About Parkwood Primary School

Of the 11 parents who responded to Ofsted's Parent View survey between September 2024 and September 2025, 82% said they would recommend Parkwood Primary School to other parents. That's a solid vote of confidence, though it's worth noting that 18% said they wouldn't. The picture becomes more nuanced when you look at the detail: 81% of respondents felt their child is happy at the school (combining 'agree' and 'strongly agree'), and a striking 73% strongly agreed that their child feels safe. However, concerns are a mixed bag — while 54% agreed that concerns are dealt with properly, 27% strongly disagreed, suggesting some inconsistency in how issues are handled. The school is clearly popular locally: for the 2025/26 intake, it received 46 applications for just 24 places, an oversubscription ratio of 1.92, with all 23 first-preference applicants offered a place. That level of demand tells you Parkwood is a school many Bradford families actively want.

Academically, Parkwood's results sit below the local authority average. At Key Stage 2 in 2023/24, 46% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with the Bradford average of 59%. That places the school 127th out of 153 primary schools in the local authority, in the bottom 50% nationally. Individual subject scores tell a more varied story: 75% met expectations in writing, but only 61% in reading and 64% in maths. Higher-attaining pupils are relatively few — just 14% achieved the higher standard in reading and maths, and 18% in writing. Ofsted's most recent graded inspection, in March 2020, rated the school Good overall, with personal development judged Outstanding. A follow-up ungraded inspection in May 2025 confirmed that standards are being maintained, with early years provision now rated Good alongside the rest of the school.

Parkwood is a smaller-than-average primary with 212 pupils against a capacity of 222, and it includes a nursery provision for children from age three. The school has a notably high proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at 40.6%, well above the national average. Facilities include an outdoor playground, gymnasium, ICT suite, sensory room, music rooms and even a chapel. The range of clubs covers science, art, drama, gardening and coding, while sports include dance, gymnastics, swimming, athletics, cross country and netball. For children with special educational needs, the school offers support for specific learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional needs, speech and language needs, and autistic spectrum disorder, plus a resourced provision. Given its oversubscription and strong parent satisfaction on safety and happiness, this is a school that clearly serves its community well, though families focused on top-tier academic outcomes may want to weigh the KS2 results carefully.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About Parkwood Primary School

Helpful Guides for Parents