St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy

About St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy

St Anthony's Catholic Primary School in Bradford stands well above the local average for its type, with 82% of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at Key Stage 2, compared with a Bradford average of 59%. That gap of 23 percentage points places the school in the top 10% nationally and 9th out of 153 primary schools in the local authority. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, an ungraded visit in July 2024, confirmed the school remains Good, with leadership and management also rated Good. The previous graded inspection in 2013 had awarded an Outstanding overall, so while the headline rating has stepped down, the school continues to perform well above the LA norm on the key academic measure that matters most to parents.

Looking more closely at the 2023/24 results, the school's strengths are particularly clear in reading, where 93% of pupils met the expected standard and 39% reached the higher standard. In maths, 89% hit the expected mark and 54% achieved the higher threshold, with an average scaled score of 109. Writing was slightly lower, with 82% at expected and 14% at the higher level. The combined higher standard across all three subjects was 7%, which is modest but reflects the school's focus on securing solid foundations for the majority. Progress scores are not available in the data, so it is not possible to say how much value the school adds relative to pupils' starting points, but the raw attainment figures are strong enough to rank the school in the top 6% regionally.

The school is oversubscribed, with 66 applications for 30 places in 2025/26 and 29 of those coming as first preferences, giving a ratio of 2.2 applicants per place. It offers nursery provision for children from age three and has a range of facilities including a sensory room, chapel, ICT suite and sports hall. Clubs include science, drama, film and choir, and sports on offer are athletics, rounders, swimming, gymnastics and tennis. The school has identified SEND provisions for moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, and speech, language and communication needs. With 16% of pupils eligible for free school meals, it serves a broadly representative intake. This is a Catholic voluntary academy that suits families who prioritise strong academic outcomes in a faith-based setting and are prepared for a competitive admissions process.

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