Titus Salt School

Titus Salt School is a large secondary school with a sixth form and a specially resourced provision for 31 pupils with severe learning difficulties. The inspection, carried out in April 2026, found the school to be a mixed picture: the sixth form is a notable strength, performing at a strong standard with students achieving above national averages, receiving high-quality teaching and excellent preparation for their next steps. In contrast, provision for pupils in Years 7 to 11 requires improvement across several areas, including achievement, curriculum and teaching, attendance and behaviour, inclusion, and leadership and governance. Pupils do not achieve as well as they should by the end of key stage 4, with outcomes significantly below national averages, and teaching is inconsistent, leading to gaps in knowledge and weak literacy skills for many pupils.

Strengths

• Sixth-form provision is strong, with students achieving above national averages and producing high-quality work.
• Students in the sixth form benefit from expert teaching, and teachers systematically check understanding and adapt teaching to meet individual needs.
• Sixth-form students behave maturely, have high levels of respect, and serve as excellent role models for younger pupils.
• The school offers a comprehensive personal development and wellbeing programme, including relationships and sex education and focus weeks.
• Pupils feel safe and most have a trusted adult to go to with concerns.
• Pastoral support is effective, and the pastoral team works closely with the SEND team to provide timely support.
• The careers programme is comprehensive, including work experience and impartial advice, preparing pupils well for their next steps.
• Pupils enjoy a wide range of enrichment activities, including drama, art and sports clubs, and all pupils, including those with SEND, are encouraged to participate.
• Pupils with complex needs are well supported by skilful and nurturing staff in the resourced provision and are fully included in school life.
• Leaders and governors know the school well, understand its strengths and priorities, and have appointed new leaders to drive improvement.
• Governors ensure statutory duties are met, challenge leaders appropriately, and consider staff wellbeing and workload.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils in Years 7 to 11 do not achieve as well as they should across the curriculum, with outcomes significantly below national averages by the end of Year 11, including for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.
• Teaching in Years 7 to 11 is inconsistent, and teachers do not typically use assessment well to check understanding or address misconceptions.
• Too many pupils have gaps in their knowledge and understanding, and the quality of work is variable, with frequent weak handwriting, spelling and grammatical errors.
• The programme to support pupils who struggle to read and write is underdeveloped, preventing many pupils from accessing the full curriculum.
• Some pupils' needs, including those with SEND, are not identified well enough, and staff do not consistently apply advice to support them in lessons.
• Attendance has been below the national average for some time, including for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, and the attendance strategy has not yet had the intended impact.
• Pupils' pride in their work and enthusiasm for learning are variable, and some pupils are passive in lessons.
• Leaders' checks on the quality of education provided at alternative provision are inconsistent.
• Additional funding to support disadvantaged pupils does not have the impact leaders intend.
• Some improvement actions are at very early stages or have not taken place quickly enough, and their impact is not yet evident.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Titus Salt School attended 88.9% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 27.0% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 11.5% of pupils at Titus Salt School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Titus Salt School had 15.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.7% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 16.2% of pupils at Titus Salt School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 8.0% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 30 pupils.

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Titus Salt School received £9,535 and spent £9,713 for each of its 1,466 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £394,000 (£269 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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What is Titus Salt School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Titus Salt School is Needs attention, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was Titus Salt School last inspected by Ofsted?

Titus Salt School was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does Titus Salt School have?

Titus Salt School has 1,462 pupils on roll.

What age range does Titus Salt School cover?

Titus Salt School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Titus Salt School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 40.8, and 35% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Titus Salt School?

Titus Salt School is at Higher Coach Road, Baildon, Shipley, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD17 5RH.