St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy
Saffron Drive, Allerton, Bradford, BD15 7NE
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 3 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Roman Catholic
- Trust
- BLESSED CHRISTOPHER WHARTON CATHOLIC ACADEMY TRUST
- Headteacher
- Mr Paul Whitehead
- Diocese
- Diocese of Leeds (rc)
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Sponsor
- Blessed Christopher Wharton Catholic Academy Trust
- Constituency
- Bradford West
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 240
- Pupils on roll
- 218
- URN
- 148478
- Local authority
- Bradford
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01274541737
About this school
St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy is a Roman Catholic primary academy in Bradford. It teaches children aged 3 to 11 and has 218 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has not yet inspected St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy under its current framework. 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
St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy has not been inspected by Ofsted yet. It opened in its current form in May 2023, and new or converted schools usually wait a few years for their first inspection.
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 24 | 31 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 58% | 65% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 4% | 3% |
| Expected standard in reading | 83% | 71% |
| Expected standard in maths | 75% | 71% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 79% | 84% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 105.0 | 103.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 105.0 | 102.0 |
Trends over time
How St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary 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 | — | 56.6% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 58% | 58.2% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 65% | 59.9% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | — | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 6.7% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 5.3% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 229 |
| 2024/25 | 224 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy compares
St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy ranked 68th of 159 primary schools in Bradford for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 53% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 54% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 65% | 5.3% | 29.7% | 218 | — |
| Ley Top Primary School | 40% | 6.9% | 51.7% | 338 | 0.1 miles |
| The Academy At St. James | 49% | 6.1% | 48.2% | 310 | 0.3 miles |
| Beckfoot Allerton Primary School and Nursery | 42% | 7.3% | 31.4% | 426 | 0.3 miles |
| Crossley Hall Primary School | 33% | 7.5% | 34.1% | 644 | 0.9 miles |
| Lady Royd Primary School | 75% | 5.7% | 46.7% | 350 | 1.1 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.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 29.67%
- English as an additional language
- 25.9%
- Overall absence
- 5.29%
- Persistent absence
- 16.4%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Ley Top Primary School0.1 miles
Primary · Bradford
-
The Academy At St. James0.3 miles
Primary · Bradford
-
Beckfoot Allerton Primary School and Nursery0.3 miles
Primary · Bradford
-
Crossley Hall Primary School0.9 miles
Primary · Bradford
-
Lady Royd Primary School1.1 miles
Primary · Bradford
Other schools in Bradford
St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy ranks 41st 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 St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy teach?
- St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy teaches children aged 3 to 11. It is a primary school in Bradford.
- Who is the headteacher of St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy?
- The headteacher of St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy is Mr Paul Whitehead, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy been inspected?
- Ofsted has not inspected St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy under its current framework, so no current judgement is shown. That is common for newer schools and is not a mark against a school.
- How many pupils are at St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy?
- St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy has 218 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 3 to 11.
- Is St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy full?
- St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy has capacity for 240 pupils and 218 on roll (91%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy a faith school?
- Yes. St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy is designated Roman Catholic, in the Diocese of Leeds (rc).
- Does St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy have a nursery?
- Yes. The schools register records St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy as having nursery classes.
- Is St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy part of an academy trust?
- St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy is part of BLESSED CHRISTOPHER WHARTON CATHOLIC ACADEMY TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How have St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 58% in 2023/24 and 65% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy compare with other schools in Bradford?
- St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy ranked 68th of 159 primary schools in Bradford for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 53% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 54% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy's absence rate?
- St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy's overall absence rate is 5.3% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary 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 10 July 2026.