The Holy Family Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy

The Holy Family Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy was inspected in April 2025 and is judged to require improvement in all key areas: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth-form provision. This was its first section 5 inspection since becoming an academy, although its predecessor school had been judged inadequate. The report notes significant ongoing context from the discovery of RAAC, which forced closure of a large part of the building, and from trust support through a trust improvement board. Pupils generally feel safe, are well supported and most are happy. The school has strengths in pastoral care, mental health support, reading intervention, SEND support and extra-curricular opportunities. However, published outcomes at the end of key stage 4 and key stage 5 are significantly below national averages in most subjects, and the quality of education varies across the curriculum. In some subjects, important knowledge is not clearly identified or sequenced, and teachers do not consistently check understanding or address gaps. Behaviour is usually positive in lessons, but a small number of pupils are boisterous during lesson changeover, sometimes using inappropriate language. Absence remains high, particularly for disadvantaged pupils, although persistent absence has decreased. Personal development is clearly planned, but character traits such as respect, responsibility and self-regulation are not always effectively developed. Leaders do not yet use all available information to monitor the impact of new strategies. Safeguarding is effective, and sixth-form students are positive and proud to attend, though the sixth form is planned to close in August 2025.

Strengths

• Pupils feel safe and appreciate the respect and support they receive from staff
• Most pupils are happy and pupils mix well irrespective of their backgrounds
• Strong pastoral and mental health support is valued by pupils
• Reading is a priority, with effective phonics, fluency and one-to-one support for weaker readers
• SEND is identified effectively, and teachers adapt lessons well so pupils with SEND access the full curriculum
• The specially resourced provision supports pupils with SEND well
• The personal development offer is clearly designed and includes PSHE, safety education and careers information
• All Year 10 pupils take part in work experience
• Sixth-form students show positive conduct, strong community and most move on to positive destinations
• The trust improvement board provides strong oversight of the school
• The attendance system has reduced the number of persistently absent pupils
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• Achievement at the end of key stage 4 and key stage 5 is significantly below national averages in most subjects
• In some subjects, important knowledge is not identified or sequenced coherently
• Teachers do not consistently check pupils' understanding or address gaps in knowledge
• The quality of education varies across the curriculum
• A small number of staff do not apply the behaviour policy consistently
• Low-level disruption sometimes occurs, particularly at key stage 3
• Boisterous behaviour and inappropriate language during lesson changeover make some pupils uncomfortable
• Absence rates are high, particularly for disadvantaged pupils
• Character traits such as respect, responsibility and self-regulation are not always effectively developed
• Leaders do not use all available information to monitor the impact of new strategies on the quality of education
• Sixth-form provision requires improvement ahead of its planned closure

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 The Holy Family Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy attended 87.5% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 38.7% 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, 21.6% of pupils at The Holy Family Catholic School, a Voluntary 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 The Holy Family Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy had 16.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 38.2% 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, 14.8% of pupils at The Holy Family Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 6.8% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 17 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 The Holy Family Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy received £9,653 and spent £10,421 for each of its 704 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £432,000 (-£614 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.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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

The Holy Family Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy is part of Blessed Christopher Wharton Catholic Academy Trust, which runs 19 schools. The nearest others:

• St Anne's Catholic Primary School Keighley
• Our Lady of Victories Catholic School Keighley
• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Keighley
• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy Bingley
• St Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy Shipley
• St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Bradford
• St Bede's and St Joseph's Catholic College, A Voluntary Academy Bradford
• St Cuthbert and the First Martyrs' Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy Bradford
• St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy Shipley
• St William's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy Bradford

What is The Holy Family Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Holy Family Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was The Holy Family Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

The Holy Family Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does The Holy Family Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy have?

The Holy Family Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy has 630 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Holy Family Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy cover?

The Holy Family Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are The Holy Family Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 31.7, and 21% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The Holy Family Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy?

The Holy Family Catholic School, a Voluntary Academy is at Spring Gardens Lane, Keighley, West Yorkshire, BD20 6LH.