Bradford Forster Academy

Bradford Forster Academy is a secondary academy within Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust. Inspected in February 2025, it has moved out of special measures following its previous inadequate judgment, but it is not yet a good school and requires improvement across the main areas of its work. A new principal was appointed in September 2023, and the school has raised expectations and standards, although pupils’ achievement at the end of key stage 4 remains considerably below the national average, even though the gap has narrowed. Pupils generally form positive relationships with staff and most feel safe. Attendance has improved considerably, behaviour systems are clearer and disruption in lessons has reduced, but a minority of pupils still behave poorly, including in corridors and at breaktimes, and some staff do not apply the behaviour policy consistently. The quality of education is uneven: in some subjects the important knowledge is not clearly identified or delivered consistently, and teachers do not always provide activities that help pupils remember what they have learned. Reading is being prioritised, but the impact of reading support is not monitored accurately. Pupils with SEND are identified effectively and a small number receive high-quality bespoke support, although classroom support is not consistently applied. Personal development has strengths, including a well-considered careers programme and a wide extra-curricular offer, but delivery of some PSHE content is inconsistent, leaving gaps in pupils’ knowledge. Trust and governance oversight of statutory responsibilities is strong, staff workload is considered and staff enjoy working at the school. However, leaders do not evaluate the impact of some strategies effectively, which slows their ability to adapt or change them. Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Strengths

• Pupils form positive relationships with staff and most feel safe.
• The school has raised its standards and expectations since the previous inspection.
• Attendance has improved considerably through a robust system.
• Behaviour systems are clear and disruption to learning has decreased.
• Pupils with SEND are identified effectively, and bespoke support for a small number of pupils is high quality.
• Reading is being prioritised through form-time reading and carefully chosen texts in some subjects.
• The PSHE curriculum is well planned and careers provision is well considered.
• Pupils have repeated opportunities to engage in a broad range of careers encounters from Years 7 to 11.
• The school works closely with local charities, offers a free breakfast and provides a wide range of extra-curricular clubs.
• Trustees and the local governing body have strong oversight of statutory responsibilities.
• Staff enjoy working at the school and leaders are mindful of staff workload.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils’ achievement at the end of key stage 4 remains considerably below the national average.
• In some subjects, the important knowledge pupils should learn has not been identified clearly or sequenced coherently.
• Curriculum delivery is inconsistent, and teachers sometimes do not select the most effective learning activities.
• Teachers do not consistently provide work and activities that help pupils remember what has been taught.
• The school does not accurately monitor the impact of reading support.
• Support for pupils with SEND is not consistently implemented in some lessons.
• A minority of pupils behave poorly, including using poor language during unstructured times.
• Some staff do not apply the behaviour policy consistently, so some pupils feel uncomfortable in corridors and are unable to learn in lessons.
• Delivery of some PSHE content, including teaching about different faiths and religions, is inconsistent, leaving gaps in pupils’ knowledge.
• Leaders do not effectively evaluate the impact of some new strategies or curriculum developments.

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 Bradford Forster Academy attended 89.3% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 30.4% 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, 20.1% of pupils at Bradford Forster Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 7 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 Bradford Forster Academy had 14.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.7% 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, 22.9% of pupils at Bradford Forster Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 5.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

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 2024–25 Bradford Forster Academy received £9,999 and spent £9,870 for each of its 976 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £934,000 (£957 per pupil).

Across all 21 schools of Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust, income was £8,537 and spending £8,479 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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

Bradford Forster Academy is part of Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust, which runs 21 schools. The nearest others:

• St John's CofE Primary School Bradford
• St Matthew's CofE Primary School and Nursery Bradford
• Westminster Church of England Primary Academy Bradford
• Woodlands Church of England Primary Academy Bradford
• St Oswald's Church of England Primary Academy Bradford
• St Philip's CofE Primary School Bradford
• Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College Academy Bradford
• Bradford Girls' Grammar School Bradford
• Lady Royd Primary School Bradford
• Clayton St John CofE Primary School Bradford

What is Bradford Forster Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Bradford Forster Academy is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Bradford Forster Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Bradford Forster Academy was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Bradford Forster Academy have?

Bradford Forster Academy has 892 pupils on roll.

What age range does Bradford Forster Academy cover?

Bradford Forster Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Bradford Forster Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 37.7, and 33% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Bradford Forster Academy?

Bradford Forster Academy is at Fenby Avenue, Bradford, BD4 8RG.