St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy

St Matthew's Catholic Primary School is a friendly, welcoming school where pupils feel safe and enjoy learning. Inspectors found it is meeting expected standards in most areas, with safeguarding standards met. Leaders have high expectations, a broad and well-sequenced curriculum, and strong inclusion for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged. Pupils make positive progress from their starting points and are generally well prepared for the next stage of education. Early years provision is a notable strength, with a clear focus on language, communication, phonics and early writing. The main concern is attendance. Pupils' attendance, including for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, is below the national average, and persistent absence is high. Although leaders are prioritising this and have adopted a trust-wide approach, attendance over time remains too low, meaning some pupils do not benefit fully from the curriculum. Other development points are that some key stage 2 pupils still need support with basic skills such as handwriting, letter formation and pencil grip, and high-quality adult interactions in the early years are not yet consistently embedded. St Matthew's is a Catholic primary school in Bradford that joined the Blessed Christopher Wharton Catholic Academy Trust in May 2023 and has since appointed a new headteacher and deputy headteacher. The school serves a community with well-above-average location deprivation, and proportions of pupils eligible for free school meals and with SEND are close to average. Governance and trust oversight are effective, and the school has a strong personal development and inclusion offer. Overall, this is a solid school with positive practice, but attendance must improve to ensure all pupils gain the full benefit of its provision.

Strengths

• High-ambition, well-sequenced curriculum tailored to pupils' needs and local context.
• Strong inclusion practice, with pupils with SEND accessing the same intended learning through well-considered adaptations.
• Effective early years provision that prioritises language, communication, phonics, early writing and motor skills.
• Pupils, including those with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, make positive progress from their starting points.
• Pupils are articulate, confident learners who demonstrate secure subject knowledge.
• Leaders use regular checks and precise targeted support to close gaps in pupils' basic knowledge and skills.
• A well-considered personal development programme that prepares pupils for life in modern Britain.
• Pupils feel safe, behave positively, show respect and benefit from strong relationships with adults.
• Knowledgeable governance and trust oversight provide appropriate support and challenge.
• A broad extra-curricular and pastoral offer, including leadership opportunities, benefits all pupils.
• Safeguarding culture is open and positive, with all legal requirements met.
• Most parents value the school and leaders engage well with families and the community.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils' attendance, including for those with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, is below the national average.
• Persistent absence is high, particularly for disadvantaged pupils, so many miss out on the full curriculum and wider provision.
• Some key stage 2 pupils still require support to secure basic skills, including handwriting, letter formation and pencil grip.
• High-quality interactions in the early years are not yet consistently embedded to maximise children's progress.
• Recent data shows negative disadvantage gaps in reading, writing and mathematics, especially in mathematics.

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 St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy attended 94.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 16.4% 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 St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy 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 St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy had 20.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.4% 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, 10.6% of pupils at St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.2% 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 St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy received £6,871 and spent £6,869 for each of its 219 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £112,000 (£509 per pupil).

Across all 19 schools of Blessed Christopher Wharton Catholic Academy Trust, income was £7,636 and spending £7,721 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.

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

St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy is part of Blessed Christopher Wharton Catholic Academy Trust, which runs 19 schools. The nearest others:

• St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy Bradford
• St William's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy Bradford
• St Cuthbert and the First Martyrs' Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy Bradford
• St Bede's and St Joseph's Catholic College, A Voluntary Academy Bradford
• St John the Evangelist Catholic Primary School Bradford
• St Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy Shipley
• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy Bradford
• St Winefride's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy Bradford
• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy Bingley
• St Francis Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy Bradford

What is St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy is Needs attention, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy have?

St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy has 218 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy cover?

St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 65% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy?

St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy is at Saffron Drive, Allerton, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD15 7NE.