Shibden Head Primary Academy
Hainsworth Moor Grove, Queensbury, Bradford, BD13 2ND
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Trust
- FOCUS ACADEMY TRUST (UK) LTD
- Headteacher
- Lucy Shaw
- Sponsor
- Focus Academy Trust (UK) Ltd
- Constituency
- Bradford South
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 419
- Pupils on roll
- 401
- URN
- 139358
- Local authority
- Bradford
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01274882458
About this school
Shibden Head Primary Academy is a primary academy in Bradford. It teaches children aged 4 to 11 and has 401 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected Shibden Head Primary Academy, and its latest judgement is set out below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Seeing a school for yourself shows what no page can, so arrange a visit before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 54 | 59 | 61 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 65% | 58% | 51% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 7% | 5% | 3% |
| Expected standard in reading | 80% | 81% | 66% |
| Expected standard in maths | 80% | 81% | 61% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 81% | 73% | 61% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 107.0 | 105.0 | 104.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 105.0 | 105.0 | 102.0 |
| Reading progress | -0.50 | - | - |
| Writing progress | -1.60 | - | - |
| Maths progress | -0.60 | - | - |
Progress measures ended nationally after the 2022/23 school year, when the key stage 1 assessments they were based on were stopped. Blank progress figures in later years are not missing school data.
Trends over time
How Shibden Head Primary Academy has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Bradford average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 65% | 56.6% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 58% | 58.2% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 51% | 59.9% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 4.4% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 3.7% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 4.2% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 402 |
| 2023/24 | 405 |
| 2024/25 | 411 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Shibden Head Primary Academy compares
Shibden Head Primary Academy ranked 118th of 159 primary schools in Bradford for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 24% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 81% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 51% | 4.2% | 15.1% | 401 | — |
| Russell Hall Primary School | 57% | 5.1% | 26.9% | 204 | 0.3 miles |
| Foxhill Primary School | 77% | 4% | 10.1% | 231 | 0.6 miles |
| Bradshaw Primary School | 78% | 3.7% | 14.2% | 323 | 1.3 miles |
| Stocks Lane Primary School | 57% | 3.7% | 16.6% | 207 | 1.4 miles |
| Trinity Academy Whitehill | 67% | 4.7% | 29% | 593 | 1.5 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
Inspection history
- 13 June 2023
-
Ungraded inspection report11 March 2020
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 15.09%
- English as an additional language
- 1.2%
- Overall absence
- 4.16%
- Persistent absence
- 8.77%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Russell Hall Primary School0.3 miles
Primary · Bradford
-
Foxhill Primary School0.6 miles
Primary · Bradford
-
Bradshaw Primary School1.3 miles
Primary · Halifax
-
Stocks Lane Primary School1.4 miles
Primary · Bradford
-
Trinity Academy Whitehill1.5 miles
Primary · Halifax
Other schools in Bradford
Shibden Head Primary Academy ranks 80th of the 110 ranked primary schools in Bradford.
- All Saints CofE Primary School Primary
- Atlas Community Primary School Primary
- Bankfoot Primary School Primary
- Barkerend Primary Leadership Academy Primary
- Beckfoot Allerton Primary School and Nursery Primary
- Beckfoot Heaton Primary Primary
- Birkenshaw Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Primary
- Blakehill Primary School Primary
- Bowling Park Primary School Primary
- Brackenhill Primary School Primary
- Byron Primary School Primary
- Carlton Mills Primary
Common questions
- What ages does Shibden Head Primary Academy teach?
- Shibden Head Primary Academy teaches children aged 4 to 11. It is a primary school in Bradford.
- Who is the headteacher of Shibden Head Primary Academy?
- The headteacher of Shibden Head Primary Academy is Lucy Shaw, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Shibden Head Primary Academy been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Shibden Head Primary Academy, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How many pupils are at Shibden Head Primary Academy?
- Shibden Head Primary Academy has 401 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 4 to 11.
- Is Shibden Head Primary Academy full?
- Shibden Head Primary Academy has capacity for 419 pupils and 401 on roll (96%), so it is close to full. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Shibden Head Primary Academy a faith school?
- No. Shibden Head Primary Academy has no designated religious character.
- Does Shibden Head Primary Academy have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records Shibden Head Primary Academy as having no nursery classes.
- Is Shibden Head Primary Academy part of an academy trust?
- Shibden Head Primary Academy is part of FOCUS ACADEMY TRUST (UK) LTD. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How have Shibden Head Primary Academy's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 65% in 2022/23 and 51% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does Shibden Head Primary Academy compare with other schools in Bradford?
- Shibden Head Primary Academy ranked 118th of 159 primary schools in Bradford for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 24% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 81% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Shibden Head Primary Academy's absence rate?
- Shibden Head Primary Academy's overall absence rate is 4.2% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Shibden Head Primary Academy's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Shibden Head Primary Academy's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 1 July 2026.