SecondaryState · Academy converter

St Bede's and St Joseph's Catholic College, A Voluntary Academy

Highgate, Heaton, Bradford, BD9 4BQ ·

Report card: strong areas· 2026Roman Catholic

At a glance

A state Roman Catholic secondary academy for ages 11–18 in Bradford. Ofsted report card (May 2026): strong areas. GCSE results are around the England average (Attainment 8: 44.5 vs 46.1, 2024/25). Oversubscribed: 297 families put it first for 283 places (September 2026 entry).

Ages: 11–18
Pupils: 1,800
Gender: Mixed
Sixth form: Yes
Admissions: Non-selective
Local authority: Bradford
Academy trust: BLESSED CHRISTOPHER WHARTON CATHOLIC ACADEMY TRUST
Headteacher: Mr Lawrence Bentley
Opened: Sept 2023

School website 01274941941 Explore the area

Inspection

Ofsted report card (renewed framework)

Read reports

Inspected 19 May 2026Published 5 Jul 2026

SafeguardingMet
InclusionExpected standard
Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
AchievementExpected standard
Attendance and behaviourExpected standard
Personal development and well-beingExpected standard
Post-16 provisionStrong standard
Leadership and governanceExpected standard

Report cards grade each area separately on a five-point scale, from Urgent improvement to Exceptional. There is no single overall grade, and results are not directly comparable with earlier grades such as “Good”.

Inspection reports describe the school on the day. Read the full report and visit the school before deciding.

Exam results

Department for Education performance tables

GCSE results, 2024/25 · 289 pupils

Attainment 8

44.5

England 46.1

Grade 5+ Eng & maths

45.3%

England 45.4%

Grade 4+ Eng & maths

67.5%

England 64.8%

Progress 8

-0.15

2023/24 · CI -0.32 to 0.01

This school

44.5

Bradford

40.8

England

46.1

Attainment 8 over time

Earlier years include results published for this school's predecessor (URN 140569), for example before it converted to an academy.

Progress 8 isn't published for 2024/25 because those pupils had no KS2 test results (tests were cancelled in 2020). Exams were not held in 2019/20 or 2020/21.

Admissions

Demand for places and how places are allocated

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Year 7 entry, September 2026 (national offer day data)

Offers made

283

1st preferences

297

All applications

665

1st prefs per place

1.05

More first choices than places

247 of 297 first-preference applicants were offered a place (83%). 1 offers went to families living in another council area.

Oversubscribed with first preferences

Earlier years include data recorded for this school's predecessor.

Catchment area

We don't have an official catchment boundary for this school. Many schools don't have one, and few councils publish boundaries as open data. We don't estimate catchments. Check the school's admissions policy or the council's admissions booklet.

Last distance offered

Not published nationally. Many councils publish the furthest distance offered for each school in their annual allocation reports. Past distances vary year to year with demand and sibling numbers, so they are not a guarantee.

How places are allocated: you apply through your home council. When a school has more applicants than places, it applies its published oversubscription criteria in order. These usually start with looked-after children, then siblings, then catchment or distance; faith schools may prioritise church attendance. Children with an EHC plan naming the school are admitted first. Apply on GOV.UK

Pupils

School census 2024/25

Pupils

1,794

Capacity

1,950

92% full

Girls / boys

51/49

Mixed

Eligible for free school meals (last 6 years)27.3%
English as an additional language27.7%
SEN support19.1%
Education, Health and Care plan1.7%
The black tick shows the median for state-funded secondary schools in England.