Valley AcademyCarlton Bolling
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Bradford.
Summary of the comparison
Valley Academy and Carlton Bolling are secondary schools in Bradford.
Valley Academy scores 43 out of 100 (grade D, below average) and Carlton Bolling scores 65 out of 100 (grade C, average). Carlton Bolling is ahead on our composite score.
Valley Academy was judged the expected standard and Carlton Bolling was judged Outstanding.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 38.7 for Valley Academy and 44.4 for Carlton Bolling.
GCSE Attainment 8 has risen at Valley Academy (33.0 in 2021-22, 38.7 in 2024-25) and has fallen at Carlton Bolling (46.8 in 2021-22, 44.4 in 2024-25).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | BradfordValley Academy | BradfordCarlton Bolling | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | D43/100 | C65/100Stronger figure | |
| Local ranking | 26th of 35 in Bradford | 8th of 35 in Bradford Stronger figure | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Expected | Ofsted: OutstandingStronger figure | |
| School type | Free schools | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-16 | 11-16 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 364 | 1,630 | |
| Capacity | 375 | 1,524 | |
| Location | Bradford, BD8 7DX | Bradford, BD3 0DU | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 38.7 | 44.4 Stronger figure | 46.0 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 45.5% Stronger figure | 44.7% | 45.4% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 62.3% | 63.9% Stronger figure | 64.8% |
| Entering EBacc | 1.3% | 46.7% Stronger figure | 40.5% |
| EBacc average point score | 3.11 | 3.71 Stronger figure | 4.09 |
| Cohort | 77 | 338 | |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 364 | 1,630 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 53.6% | 43.7% | |
| English as an additional language | 65.4% | 59.3% | |
| SEN support | 18.1% | 7.1% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 2.8% | 3.5% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 14.0% | 8.9% Stronger figure | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 39.4% | 26.5% Stronger figure | 15.8% |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
GCSE Attainment 8
GCSE Progress 8
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Ethnicity over time
One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.
Valley Academy
Carlton Bolling
Full profiles: Valley Academy · Carlton Bolling