Appleton Academy

Appleton Academy at a glance

Located in Bradford, Appleton Academy is an all-through school, classified by the DfE as a sponsor-led academy. The school educates roughly 1,254 pupils aged 3 to 16. Ofsted judged the school to be 'Good' at its most recent inspection. 63% of its pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at the end of Key Stage 2, broadly in line with the national average (national figure: 61%). The proportion reaching the expected standard has risen by 8.0 percentage points year on year. At GCSE, the school's average Attainment 8 score was 35.1, well below the national average of 46. On our composite score, Appleton Academy ranks in the top 37% of primary schools nationally for its primary (KS2) results. For its secondary (KS4) results, it ranks in the lower half of secondary schools nationally.

Pupils achieved an average scaled score of 107 in reading and 106 in maths (national averages are about 105 and 104). 12% reached the higher standard across all three subjects (around 8% do so nationally). At Key Stage 4, 27% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in both English and maths, well below the national average of about 45%. Getting a place is straightforward: for the September 2026 intake every family who made Appleton Academy their first choice was offered one of its 24 Reception places. Overall pupil absence was 10.7%. There are about 15.3 pupils per teacher. The school serves a community with above-average levels of disadvantage: about 52% of pupils have been eligible for free school meals in the last six years, compared with roughly 24% nationally — useful context when reading the results above. When comparing schools, it is still worth visiting in person to see whether the atmosphere and approach suit your child. This overview is generated automatically from the latest published DfE performance tables and Ofsted data; figures are rounded, and you can check the originals via the official links above.