Riddlesden St Mary's CofE Primary School

About Riddlesden St Mary's CofE Primary School

Riddlesden St Mary's CofE Primary School is a Church of England primary in the Bradford local authority, serving 447 pupils aged 2 to 11. It sits 148th out of 157 primary schools in the area, placing it in the bottom half of the LA rankings. The top-performing local peers include All Saints' CofE Primary School, Harden Primary School, and Copthorne Primary School, all of which score significantly higher on the same ranking metric. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is Merlin Top Primary Academy, about 2.8 kilometres away. Riddlesden St Mary's itself holds a Good rating from Ofsted, a notable improvement from its previous Requires Improvement judgement in 2014. In its most recent ungraded inspection in March 2025, inspectors confirmed that standards are being maintained, with leadership and management, early years provision, and overall effectiveness all rated Good.

Academically, the school's Key Stage 2 results for 2023/24 are below the local authority average. Only 33% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths combined, compared with the Bradford average of 59%. The school's ranking score of 33 places it in the bottom 50 nationally for this metric. In individual subjects, 55% reached the expected standard in reading, 43% in maths, and 70% in writing. Higher attainment was low: just 3% achieved the higher standard across all three subjects, 7% in reading, 10% in maths, and 5% in writing. Average scores were 101 in reading and 99 in maths. The school has a high proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at 31.8%, which may be a relevant factor when interpreting these outcomes.

The school is oversubscribed for 2025/26, with 93 applications for 58 places and all first-preference applicants offered a spot. Facilities include a library, music rooms, gymnasium, chapel, and outdoor playground. Sports offered include football, cricket, swimming, gymnastics, and dance, while clubs range from coding and science club to drama, book club, and eco club. SEND provision is broad, covering dyslexia, moderate to severe learning difficulties, speech and language needs, hearing and visual impairments, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. Parent View responses from 42 families were overwhelmingly positive: 95% would recommend the school, 96% agreed or strongly agreed their child is happy, and 98% felt their child is safe. This school may suit families who prioritise a supportive, inclusive environment and a Church of England ethos, particularly those with children with SEND needs.

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