Co-op Academy Penny Oaks

Co-op Academy Penny Oaks is a vibrant, inclusive and successful school where pupils are safe, happy and achieve well. Inspectors found strong provision across all areas, including achievement, attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, early years, inclusion, leadership and governance, and personal development. Pupils are confident learners who read fluently, speak ambitiously and show detailed knowledge across subjects, while staff quickly support pupils who join at different points in the year. Safeguarding standards are met. Notable strengths include the school's highly inclusive culture, effective support for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND, strong early years provision, and a rich personal development and enrichment offer. Leaders have responded well to high pupil mobility, and the trust provides effective support and challenge. National test outcomes do not always reflect the quality of education because many pupils join or leave mid-year, but current pupils make rapid progress. The report identifies no areas of concern and asks leaders only to continue responding to the changing needs of the community to maintain high standards.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve well and show detailed subject knowledge
• Reading is taught effectively from the start
• Pupils value school and attend regularly
• Behaviour is very positive and bullying is rare
• The school is a highly inclusive community
• The curriculum is ambitious, flexible and well sequenced
• Teachers prioritise spoken language, reading and writing
• Early years provision is stimulating and well adapted
• Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND are supported effectively
• Leadership and governance are strong, with effective trust support
• Personal development and enrichment are rich
• Pastoral support and family engagement are strong
• Safeguarding culture is open and effective

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 Co-op Academy Penny Oaks attended 96.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.8% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Co-op Academy Penny Oaks 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 Co-op Academy Penny Oaks had 16.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.5% 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, 11.2% of pupils at Co-op Academy Penny Oaks 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 Co-op Academy Penny Oaks received £7,993 and spent £8,384 for each of its 188 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £107,000 (£572 per pupil).

Across all 40 schools of The Co-Operative Academies Trust, income was £9,737 and spending £9,467 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

Co-op Academy Penny Oaks is part of The Co-Operative Academies Trust, which runs 40 schools. The nearest others:

• Co-op Academy Delius Bradford
• Co-op Academy Beckfield Bradford
• Co-op Academy Princeville Bradford
• Co-op Academy Priesthorpe Pudsey
• Co-op Academy Grange Bradford
• Co-op Academy Southfield Bradford
• Co-op Academy Parkland Bradford
• Co-op Academy Smithies Moor Heckmondwike
• Co-op Academy Leeds Leeds
• Co-op Academy Brierley Leeds

What is Co-op Academy Penny Oaks's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Co-op Academy Penny Oaks is Strong standard, from an inspection in October 2026.

When was Co-op Academy Penny Oaks last inspected by Ofsted?

Co-op Academy Penny Oaks was last inspected in October 2026.

How many pupils does Co-op Academy Penny Oaks have?

Co-op Academy Penny Oaks has 188 pupils on roll.

What age range does Co-op Academy Penny Oaks cover?

Co-op Academy Penny Oaks for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Co-op Academy Penny Oaks's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 55% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Co-op Academy Penny Oaks?

Co-op Academy Penny Oaks is at Upper Nidd Street, Leeds Road, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD3 9ND.