Hanson Academy

Hanson Academy is an inclusive and aspirational secondary school that has improved significantly in recent times. This was its first section 5 inspection since becoming an academy in 2022; its predecessor school had been judged inadequate. Inspectors found the school good across the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth-form provision. Pupils behave well, feel safe, and benefit from a calm environment, while staff are highly ambitious and have raised curriculum quality and pupils' wider opportunities. Attendance has improved markedly, safeguarding is effective, and trust and senior leaders have secured a positive culture shift, with staff feeling valued and well supported. The curriculum is ambitious and suitably academic, with vocational options, and inspectors saw effective teaching and strong written work. Pupils, especially in key stage 3, connect prior learning well, and pupils with SEND are identified and supported effectively. Published outcomes are low, but inspectors saw a different picture in the quality of pupils' work and learning. Some older pupils still have significant knowledge gaps caused by poor prior attendance or fractured previous schooling; strategies to address these are in place but at an early stage of implementation in some subjects. Sixth-form students are positive about staff support and the school's recent changes, and leaders focus strongly on high-quality destinations. However, some sixth-form curriculum implementation and guidance are not yet sufficiently well embedded, meaning some students do not achieve as highly as they could, and some need better support with subject choices and progression through their programmes of study.

Strengths

• Pupils enjoy an inclusive, aspirational and calm school environment.
• Pupils behave well, focus on learning and demonstrate positive relationships with staff.
• The curriculum is ambitious, academic and offers a range of vocational options.
• Teachers have good subject knowledge and make well-considered teaching choices.
• Pupils' written work is of high quality and they connect prior knowledge across subjects.
• Reading support is effective, with a revitalised library and help for early-stage readers.
• Pupils with SEND are identified and assessed well, and staff adapt the curriculum appropriately.
• The personal development programme is high quality and develops pupils' understanding of health and community.
• Pupils and sixth-form students make active contributions to the school and wider community.
• Attendance has significantly improved and suspensions have reduced over two years.
• Leaders and the trust have secured a positive culture shift and demonstrable improvement.
• Staff feel valued and well supported, including in relation to workload.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• Some older pupils have persistent gaps in knowledge caused by poor prior attendance or fractured previous experience.
• Pupil outcomes at the end of key stage 4 are not as strong as they could be.
• Strategies to address gaps in pupils' understanding are not yet fully embedded in all subjects.
• Some sixth-form curriculum implementation and guidance are not sufficiently well embedded.
• Some sixth-form students are not achieving as highly as they could.
• Some sixth-form students need more support with subject selection and progression through their chosen areas of study.

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 Hanson Academy attended 85.1% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 42.0% 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, 21.5% of pupils at Hanson Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 5 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 Hanson Academy had 16.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 7.6% 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, 12.6% of pupils at Hanson Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.7% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 41 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 2024–25 Hanson Academy received £8,583 and spent £8,738 for each of its 1,549 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,225,000 (£791 per pupil).

Across all 62 schools of Delta Academies Trust, income was £7,459 and spending £7,562 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

Hanson Academy is part of Delta Academies Trust, which runs 62 schools. The nearest others:

• Valley Academy Bradford
• Greengates Primary Academy Bradford
• Whetley Academy Bradford
• Lower Fields Primary Academy Bradford
• Southmere Primary Academy Bradford
• Ryecroft Primary Academy Bradford
• Heckmondwike Primary Academy Heckmondwike
• Park View Primary Academy Leeds
• Eastborough Academy Dewsbury
• Manor Croft Academy Dewsbury

What is Hanson Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Hanson Academy is Good, from an inspection in June 2025.

When was Hanson Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Hanson Academy was last inspected in June 2025.

How many pupils does Hanson Academy have?

Hanson Academy has 1,503 pupils on roll.

What age range does Hanson Academy cover?

Hanson Academy for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Hanson Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 36.3, and 45% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Hanson Academy?

Hanson Academy is at Sutton Avenue, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD2 1JP.