Russell Hall Primary School

Russell Hall Primary School is a caring primary where pupils are generally happy, behave well and show respect, collaboration and resilience. Behaviour and attitudes, personal development and early years provision are good, and safeguarding is effective. The school has strong pastoral support, effective SEND identification and a high-quality nurture provision, and its early years curriculum and reading/phonics support are notable strengths. Attendance and suspensions have improved. However, the quality of education and leadership and management require improvement. Expectations for academic attainment were not high enough until recently, and some pupils have not achieved well over time; national assessment outcomes have only recently begun to improve. In key stages 1 and 2, teaching activities do not consistently match curriculum aims, staff do not routinely check understanding before moving on, and gaps in pupils' knowledge are not always addressed. Pupils' understanding of different faiths and cultures is also not secure enough. This was the school's first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the headteacher and other senior leaders are new to their roles. Governors recognise the need to improve attainment but do not receive sufficiently precise information to challenge and support improvement consistently, and some disadvantaged pupils still attend less well than their peers.

Strengths

• Pupils demonstrate respect, collaboration and resilience.
• Behaviour in lessons and around school is generally very positive.
• Excellent pastoral support helps pupils manage emotions and challenges.
• Bullying is rare and addressed effectively.
• SEND needs are accurately identified and well supported, including high-quality nurture provision.
• Early years curriculum is ambitious and well tailored, preparing children well for key stage 1.
• Reading and phonics provision have improved, with effective support and a well-resourced library.
• Attendance has improved and persistent absence and suspensions have reduced significantly.
• Enrichment visits and well-considered PSHE help pupils stay healthy and safe.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• Teaching activities in key stages 1 and 2 do not consistently support intended learning.
• Staff do not consistently check pupils' understanding before moving on, leaving gaps.
• Some older pupils have not secured knowledge and skills needed for the next stage.
• Pupils' understanding of different faiths and cultures is not secure enough.
• Governors do not receive sufficiently precise information to challenge and support improvement.
• Some disadvantaged pupils attend less well than their peers.
• Historic expectations for academic attainment were too low, and national assessment outcomes are only recently improving.
• Curriculum intentions are not consistently achieved, and some pupils do not learn in sufficient depth.

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 Russell Hall Primary School attended 94.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 13.7% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

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, 0.9% of pupils at Russell Hall Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were 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 Russell Hall Primary School had 24.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

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, 22.1% of pupils at Russell Hall Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.9% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

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 primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Russell Hall Primary School received £7,591 and spent £7,628 for each of its 197 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £68,000 (£345 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

All schools in Bradford · Bradford local authority: places and applications

What is Russell Hall Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Russell Hall Primary School is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in September 2025.

When was Russell Hall Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Russell Hall Primary School was last inspected in September 2025.

How many pupils does Russell Hall Primary School have?

Russell Hall Primary School has 204 pupils on roll.

What age range does Russell Hall Primary School cover?

Russell Hall Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Russell Hall Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 57% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Russell Hall Primary School?

Russell Hall Primary School is at West End, Queensbury, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD13 2AW.