Appleton Academy
Academy sponsor led · 1,207 pupils
82% stayed in education · Attainment 8 35.1
Academy sponsor led
Bradford Academy
- Pupils on roll
- 1,549of 1,891 places
- Free school meals
- 51.3%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 221
- Ofsted
- Inspected, 29 April 2025Read the Ofsted report
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: Bradford Cathedral Community College (URN 132218).
What the data says
Of the 231 pupils who finished Year 11 at Bradford Academy in 2023, 20% stayed on in Bradford Academy’s own sixth form (Bradford average 33%), 37% went to a further education college and 2% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 67 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 36% went to university (Bradford 40%, England 37%), and 0% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.
GCSE results in 2025 were well below the national picture: Attainment 8 of 33.1 against 46.1 across England and 40.8 in Bradford, with 23% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).
Spanish is unusually popular at GCSE: 59% of the year group took it, against 19% of pupils across England.
Where pupils went after Year 11
Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Bradford and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Bradford Academy | Bradford | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 231 | 6,849 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 82% | 88% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 78% | 84% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 20% | 33% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 21% | 11% | 13% |
| — further education college | 37% | 39% | 37% |
| — other education | — | 2% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 2% | 3% | 3% |
| Employment | 2% | 2% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 9% | 7% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 9% | 5% | 3% |
Where students went after sixth form
Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Bradford Academy | Bradford | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 67 | 4,742 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 78% | 72% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 36% | 40% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 0% | 13% | 19% |
| Further education | 9% | 9% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 3% | 5% | 7% |
| Employment | 28% | 16% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 18% | 22% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | Bradford Academy | Bradford | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 33.1 | 40.8 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 23% | 38% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 46% | 57% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 58% | 42% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 2.94 | 3.56 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 57% | 36% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 28.5 | 31.7 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 39.1 | 45.9 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 21% | 34% | 19% |
Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.
Subjects taken at GCSE
Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England | Grades 7–9 | England | Grades 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 221 | 100% | 89% | 5% | 20% | 43% |
| English Literature | 218 | 99% | 86% | 8% | 21% | 57% |
| Mathematics | 217 | 98% | 88% | 9% | 22% | 50% |
| Combined Science | 197 | 89% | 65% | 3% | 9% | 38% |
| History | 144 | 65% | 41% | 5% | 26% | 32% |
| Spanish | 131 | 59% | 19% | 2% | 27% | 12% |
| Religious Studies | 48 | 22% | 31% | 6% | 32% | 67% |
| Geography | 44 | 20% | 41% | 5% | 25% | 36% |
| Fine Art | 25 | 11% | 9% | 0% | 28% | 48% |
| Computer Science | 22 | 10% | 13% | 5% | 30% | 36% |
| Biology | 19 | 9% | 23% | 37% | 45% | 84% |
| Chemistry | 16 | 7% | 23% | 44% | 47% | 100% |
| Physics | 16 | 7% | 23% | 25% | 46% | 100% |
| Textiles | 14 | 6% | 2% | 7% | 27% | 79% |
| 3D Design | 10 | 5% | 2% | 0% | 16% | 20% |
| Polish | 2 | 1% | 1% | — | 84% | — |
| Business Studies | 1 | 0% | 18% | — | 20% | — |
| Russian | 1 | 0% | 0% | — | 87% | — |
| French | 1 | 0% | 18% | — | 29% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Business Management | 68 | — | — |
| Health Studies | 60 | — | — |
| Personal Health | 41 | — | — |
| Hospitality / Catering Studies | 29 | — | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 28 | — | — |
| Dance: General | 27 | — | — |
| Speech and Drama | 13 | — | — |
| Music performance: Group | 8 | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Bradford
Beckfoot Oakbank
Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 1,394 pupils
82% stayed in education · Attainment 8 35.3
Beckfoot School
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,592 pupils
89% stayed in education · Attainment 8 53.0
Beckfoot Thornton
Academy sponsor led · 1,243 pupils
83% stayed in education · Attainment 8 40.2
Beckfoot Upper Heaton
Academy sponsor led · 679 pupils
83% stayed in education · Attainment 8 37.3
Belle Vue Girls' Academy
Academy converter · sixth form · 910 pupils
93% stayed in education · Attainment 8 43.2
Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.