Trinity Academy Bradford Review 2026: A high-expectations secondary with standout personal development

Queensbury families looking for a modern, disciplined secondary experience will recognise the priorities here quickly. Expectations around behaviour, attendance and classroom routines are explicit, and the culture is built around clear values: Empathy, Honesty, Respect and Responsibility.

The other defining feature is the school’s focus on character development, structured into named programmes as students move through Years 7 to 11. Those programmes give students a sense of progression beyond grades alone, and they also help parents understand what the school wants young people to become, not only what it wants them to achieve.

Academically, performance sits in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile), with an Attainment 8 score of 43.7 and a Progress 8 score of -0.02. Ranked 1939th in England and 16th in Bradford for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), it is a school where the results story matters, but it is not the only story.

The tone is purposeful. The school’s language centres on professional standards, routines and shared responsibility, and that tends to translate into a day that feels tightly structured for students. The emphasis is less on informal flexibility and more on consistent norms that reduce ambiguity about what good behaviour looks like.

That approach can suit students who want clear rules and predictable responses from adults. It can also help families who have felt that previous settings were inconsistent, as it sets out a common baseline across lessons and social spaces. The trade-off is that students who respond best to looser structures may need time, and support, to adapt to a culture where expectations are non-negotiable.

Leadership is led by Principal Tom Taylor, whose role is presented plainly on the school’s leadership pages. The school sits within Trinity Multi-Academy Trust, having joined in February 2021, which provides a clear organisational backbone and a wider set of shared programmes across the group.

The headline positioning is straightforward. Ranked 1939th in England and 16th in Bradford for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), the school sits in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile).

In outcomes terms, the Attainment 8 score is 43.7, and the Progress 8 score is -0.02, which indicates progress broadly in line with national expectations, with a very slight negative tilt. EBacc entry and outcomes also matter for families comparing curriculum breadth. The average EBacc APS score is 3.97, and 21% of pupils achieved grades 5 or above across EBacc components.

A key implication for parents is that outcomes are not signalling a narrow exam model; instead, they point to a school seeking steady improvement, with performance that is credible but not selective. The practical question becomes whether the school’s structured culture, curriculum design and attendance expectations align with what your child needs to do well.

Curriculum breadth is emphasised through a commitment to keeping subject access wide and maintaining the English Baccalaureate suite as an option for more pupils. Where this becomes meaningful for families is in the balance between ambition and support: broad subject access only works if students receive the scaffolding to succeed in it.

The school’s internal language around behaviour and learning places routines at the centre of effective teaching. In practice, this usually means consistent lesson structures, clear entry and exit routines, and an emphasis on punctuality and readiness to learn. For many students, especially those who benefit from predictable systems, this can translate into less time lost to disruption and more time on deliberate practice.

If your child is highly self-directed and thrives on open-ended approaches, the better question to ask at an open event is how the school stretches students at the top end within this structure. The available evidence points strongly to consistency, so it is worth probing extension pathways, homework expectations and how subject leaders adapt teaching for different starting points.

This is an 11 to 16 school, so the main “next step” is post-16 progression into sixth form or college rather than university destinations. The school’s character and careers work is designed to keep that transition intentional, rather than leaving it to Year 11 panic.

The Competitive Edge programme is positioned as part of how students prepare for the next stage of life, including thinking about careers and employability, rather than only GCSE outcomes. Year 9 participation in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme, alongside the Trinity Challenge, also adds a practical dimension to applications and interviews for sixth form or apprenticeships, because it gives students evidence of commitment, teamwork and initiative.

For parents, the implication is that the school is actively building a “profile” for students over several years. That tends to benefit students who need structure to maintain motivation, and it can also help those whose strengths are broader than exams alone.

Demand is high. The most recently reported demand figures show 554 applications for 166 offers, which equates to about 3.34 applications per place, and the school is recorded as oversubscribed. First-preference demand also exceeds offers, with the most recent ratio at 1.69.

Admissions for Year 7 are tied into Bradford’s coordinated process, with a clear deadline for the Common Application Form. For September 2026 entry, the closing date is 31 October 2025, and offers are released on 01 March 2026 or the next working day.

A distinguishing feature is fair banding. Applicants are invited to sit a non-verbal cognitive ability assessment, used to ensure the intake reflects the ability profile of applicants rather than concentrating places within a narrow academic range. This is not selection in the grammar-school sense; it is a method of balancing the cohort. The practical implication is that families need to engage with the assessment process and timelines as part of applying, rather than assuming distance alone will decide outcomes.

For families managing complexity, FindMySchool’s Map Search can still be useful for understanding the geography around the school, but here, the more important action is to read the admissions policy carefully and understand how banding interacts with the oversubscription criteria.

Pastoral work is woven into the school’s named development pathway. The Graduation programme, the Trinity Challenge, Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and Competitive Edge are presented as a sequence that builds confidence, habits and long-term direction.

The latest Ofsted inspection (published 07 May 2024) judged the school Good overall, with Personal development graded Outstanding. Inspectors also reported that most pupils feel bullying is not a problem and that the school takes appropriate action if it occurs.

For parents, that combination matters. A structured behaviour model can feel strict, but if it is paired with credible personal development and clear responses to bullying, it can be reassuring for students who need firm boundaries to feel safe and settled.

Extracurricular life is anchored less in an endless list of clubs and more in structured participation that contributes to character and progression. The school’s Graduation programme culminates in a ceremony at the end of Year 8, giving younger students a concrete milestone early in secondary life. The implication is that students are encouraged to see progress as something they can bank each year, which can be motivating for those who find long-term goals abstract.

Year 9 is where the enrichment offer becomes more outward-facing. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme and the Trinity Challenge are explicit examples of this. Both require students to commit time beyond lessons and to demonstrate reliability, and both tend to translate well into post-16 applications where evidence of sustained effort matters.

For students who enjoy stretching themselves academically and personally, the site also flags Trinity Scholars as a pathway with additional investment of up to £6,000 for students on the programme. The practical point for parents is to ask what eligibility looks like, how students are identified, and what the additional investment translates into day to day, for example enrichment sessions, mentoring, or academic extension.

Facilities development is another strand. The school prospectus describes construction of a new academy building, with modern classrooms and laboratories, a learning resource centre, a sports hall and sustainability features such as solar panels, a roof garden and rainwater harvesting, with an anticipated completion date of October 2025. If facilities are important to your child, confirm what is currently available and what is planned, as timelines can shift.

This is a state school, so there are no tuition fees. Families should still budget for the usual associated costs such as uniform, equipment and optional trips, which vary by year group and subject.

The school is in Queensbury (Bradford), with travel typically shaped by local bus routes and road access in the wider Bradford and Halifax corridor. Published start and finish times were not clearly available in the sources reviewed, so families should confirm the daily timetable directly, especially if transport arrangements depend on it.

• Oversubscription and process detail. Demand is high, and the admissions route includes fair banding alongside the local authority application process. Families need to engage early with deadlines and assessment arrangements to avoid missing key steps.

• A culture built on rules and routines. The tone is disciplined and standards-led. This suits many students, but those who struggle with strict boundaries may need a clear plan for support and adjustment.

• Facilities may still be in transition. The prospectus sets out planned building development with an anticipated completion timeline. If facilities are central to your decision, verify current provision and what is fully operational.

Trinity Academy Bradford is a high-expectations, oversubscribed secondary where personal development is a clear strength and the culture prioritises order, punctuality and consistent routines. Results sit in line with the middle 35% of schools in England, so the strongest differentiator is not a league-table profile but the school’s structured approach to behaviour and character. It suits families who want a disciplined environment, a clear progression pathway through Years 7 to 11, and an admissions process they are willing to engage with early and carefully.