Wilsden Primary School

Wilsden Primary School has shown significant improvement since its previous inspection, moving from a grade of 'Requires Improvement' to 'Good' across all evaluated areas. The school's inclusive environment fosters a positive atmosphere where pupils feel safe, happy, and engaged in their learning. With strong leadership under the executive headteacher, Elizabeth Davison, and support from the Focus Academy Trust, the school has established a well-structured curriculum that ensures all students, including those with special educational needs, can access learning effectively. Notably, the school has prioritized reading and implemented a comprehensive phonics program that has resulted in excellent progress for students in this area.

Strengths

• Inclusive school environment promoting happiness and safety.
• Ambitious and well-structured curriculum with seamless progression.
• Strong emphasis on reading, resulting in excellent pupil outcomes.
• Effective support for students with special educational needs.
• Well-trained staff delivering quality education.
• Active pupil engagement in community projects.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent expectations of behavior across lessons.
• Occasional low-level disruptions affecting learning progress.
• Work not always tailored to match pupils' prior knowledge.

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 Wilsden Primary School attended 96.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 7.6% 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, 0.7% of pupils at Wilsden 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 Wilsden Primary School had 19.9 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, 3.4% of pupils at Wilsden Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.5% 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 2024–25 Wilsden Primary School received £6,554 and spent £6,565 for each of its 270 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £102,000 (£378 per pupil).

Across all 15 schools of Focus Academy Trust (Uk) Ltd, income was £7,160 and spending £6,808 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

Wilsden Primary School is part of Focus Academy Trust (Uk) Ltd, which runs 15 schools. The nearest others:

• Thornton Primary School Bradford
• Shibden Head Primary Academy Bradford
• Fieldhead Primary Academy Batley
• Birstall Primary Academy Batley
• Boothroyd Primary Academy Dewsbury
• Thornhill Junior and Infant School Dewsbury
• Deeplish Primary Academy Rochdale
• Roundthorn Primary Academy Oldham
• Freehold Community Academy Oldham
• Coppice Primary Academy Oldham

What is Wilsden Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Wilsden Primary School is Good, from an inspection in December 2023.

When was Wilsden Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Wilsden Primary School was last inspected in December 2023.

How many pupils does Wilsden Primary School have?

Wilsden Primary School has 265 pupils on roll.

What age range does Wilsden Primary School cover?

Wilsden Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 63% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Wilsden Primary School?

Wilsden Primary School is at Tweedy Street, Wilsden, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD15 0AE.