Carlton Keighley Review 2026: A longer school day built around culture, reading, and personal development

Carlton Keighley is ranked 3573rd in England and 3rd in Keighley for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). This places it below England average overall, within the lower performance band nationally. In plain terms, results sit below the middle of England schools, and families should expect outcomes that are not yet consistently competitive with stronger local or regional comparators.

The attainment indicators reinforce that picture. The school’s Attainment 8 score is 36.3, which is lower than typical national figures, and the school’s Progress 8 score is -0.29, suggesting that, on average, pupils make less progress than pupils with similar starting points nationally. The EBacc element is also a developing area. The average EBacc APS is 2.9 against an England benchmark of 4.08 and the percentage achieving grades 5 or above across the EBacc measure is low at 1.4. These are not small gaps, they point to a school still working to raise consistency across the full cohort, particularly in the academic core.

That said, the most useful way to read these numbers is alongside the direction of travel described in official evidence. The 2025 inspection report describes high expectations that were not reflected in the previous published outcomes, and a stronger picture emerging in pupils’ work and lesson participation. Parents should interpret this as a school where the internal standards and classroom climate may now be ahead of the historic results line, but with the caution that public outcomes take time to catch up.

For families comparing options, the most practical next step is to use FindMySchool’s Local Hub comparison tools to benchmark local secondaries across the metrics that matter to you, particularly Progress 8, Attainment 8, and EBacc patterns, and then cross-check those with each school’s current priorities and inspection evidence.

Curriculum development is a central theme in the school’s published material and external review. The curriculum is described as ambitious and well sequenced, with a consistent lesson structure used to help pupils retain knowledge and close gaps. That consistency matters most in schools that serve mixed ability intakes, because it reduces variability between classrooms and makes expectations clearer for pupils who need routines.

Breadth appears to be increasing, particularly through the expansion of modern foreign languages, and through stronger emphasis on music and performing arts. The curriculum model documents and long-term plans suggest a broad KS3 experience followed by KS4 routes that include both academic and applied options. In practice, this should suit pupils who benefit from a mix of pathways, including those who prefer coursework-oriented subjects, but it also places a premium on guidance at options stage. Families should pay attention to how the school supports option choices, and whether pupils are encouraged into pathways that keep post-16 doors open.

Reading and writing are used as cross-curricular drivers, not just English department priorities. The inspection report describes targeted reading interventions and form time reading routines, plus structured opportunities for extended writing. For parents, the implication is straightforward, pupils who arrive with weaker literacy should find more systematic support than in schools where literacy is assumed rather than actively taught. For high-attaining readers and writers, it can create a culture where academic language and writing stamina are taken seriously across subjects, which tends to benefit GCSE performance over time.

The key improvement area flagged in official evidence is curriculum precision in a small number of subjects, specifically identifying the most important knowledge consistently across the whole curriculum. That is a technical issue, but it matters because it affects coherence, assessment, and revision effectiveness at GCSE.

Carlton Keighley is an 11 to 16 school, so the key transition point is post-16 rather than sixth form progression. The school places significant emphasis on careers education and technical pathways, including the statutory requirement to provide pupils with access to information about technical education and apprenticeships. Its own statements highlight external recognition for careers provision, and this aligns with the way personal development is structured through the Carlton Edge entitlement.

A strength for many families will be that post-16 thinking is positioned early, not just as a Year 11 add-on. The Carlton Edge structure and careers programme materials emphasise employability skills, aspiration-building, and exposure to wider cultural and workplace contexts. For pupils who are uncertain about what comes next, or who lack family networks for career insight, that kind of structured exposure can be particularly valuable.

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Admissions are coordinated through Bradford local authority for Year 7 entry, with a standard application window and national offer day timetable for September 2026 entry. In the Bradford admissions timetable, online applications open on 12 September 2025, the closing date is 31 October 2025, and offers are issued on 2 March 2026.

Demand is material. In the most recent admissions cycle reflected there were 387 applications for 165 offers, which is approximately 2.35 applications per place. This is consistent with the school being oversubscribed. For first preference demand, the ratio of first preferences to offers is 1.33, suggesting that a sizeable proportion of applicants actively prioritise the school rather than listing it as a fallback.

Oversubscription criteria are clearly set out in the school’s published admissions policy. Priority includes looked-after and previously looked-after children, exceptional medical or social need, sibling priority within the priority admission area, children of staff (in defined circumstances), and named feeder primaries, followed by other children in the priority area and then those outside it. Tie-break is distance measured in a straight line to the main entrance, with random allocation where addresses are equidistant.

Because last offered distance data is not available families should avoid making assumptions based on anecdotal catchment claims. If proximity is likely to matter for you, use FindMySchool’s Map Search to calculate your distance accurately, then cross-check the latest local authority admissions documentation for allocation patterns before relying on a place.

Pastoral support is described as multi-layered, combining a traditional head of year approach with a safeguarding structure and external support. The welcome booklet explicitly references a team of NHS mental health professionals based in school, and positions pupils’ wellbeing and safety as something pupils are encouraged to raise early with pastoral staff.

Anti-bullying expectations and behaviour routines are set out in operational detail, including the escalation pathway when bullying is identified. That level of clarity can be reassuring for families who want to know exactly how issues are handled, although parents should still ask how consistently policies translate into practice for different year groups and contexts.

Attendance is treated as a key improvement lever. External evidence describes significant improvement in attendance over the past three years, supported by a structured approach. For pupils where attendance has historically been fragile, or where routines at home are complex, this can be an important part of progress.

Support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities is described as active, with identification systems in place and targeted support. The main caveat in the latest official evidence is that the quality of some bespoke interventions is inconsistent, and that some pupils can miss important learning unnecessarily when intervention quality is uneven. Families of pupils with SEND should explore how intervention time is protected and evaluated, and how the school balances withdrawal support against curriculum access.

Carlton Keighley’s most distinctive feature beyond lessons is the Carlton Edge programme, a structured entitlement model that sits inside the weekly timetable rather than relying solely on voluntary after-school clubs. The implication is significant, participation is not limited to pupils who can stay late, afford costs, or have parents available for pick-up. It is built into the school week.

The programme is framed as a combination of experiences, cultural capital, and personal development. Official evidence describes an expectation that pupils participate in educational visits, with examples including a Year 10 visit to Bradford Royal Infirmary and theatre visits for pupils across year groups. For many pupils, particularly those who do not have frequent access to trips and wider experiences outside school, this can materially change confidence and ambition. It can also support careers learning in a way that makes pathways feel real rather than theoretical.

Leadership opportunities are also named. The student council and sports leaders programme are highlighted as routes for pupils from all year groups to contribute to school life, with sports leaders supporting events and competitions for local primary schools. That blend of responsibility and local outreach often benefits pupils who thrive when given a role and a purpose, particularly those who are less motivated by traditional academic rewards alone.

There are also signs of wider partnerships. The school has participated in projects connected to the Leeds Institute for Data Analytics and the University of Leeds, which is unusual for a non-selective 11 to 16 school and suggests an attempt to link curriculum and careers to local higher education and industry contexts.

The school day starts early. Breakfast is available from 8:00am and pupils are expected to be in the building by 8:20am for an 8:30am start. Monday to Thursday includes a Carlton Edge enrichment block that takes the day through to 4:00pm. Friday follows a shorter taught pattern with a later enrichment block listed in the timetable.

Transport support includes a free bus service on a defined route, with published return services Monday to Thursday and on Fridays. Families should review whether that route aligns with their home location and whether enrichment participation affects pick-up timing.

• Published outcomes lag behind ambition. GCSE performance indicators sit below England averages, and Progress 8 is negative. The school may be improving in-class, but families should be realistic about current published attainment and progress measures.

• The culture is structured and sanctions are explicit. Clear routines suit many pupils, but children who struggle with compliance, punctuality, or strict uniform expectations may find the environment demanding.

• EBacc and curriculum precision are still developing areas. External evidence notes that a small number of subjects need tighter identification of the most important knowledge, and EBacc participation is described as increasing slowly.

• SEND support needs careful scrutiny for some pupils. Identification is in place, but the quality of some bespoke interventions is described as inconsistent, with a risk of missed learning.

Carlton Keighley is best understood as a school with a strong cultural blueprint and a deliberate strategy to improve through literacy, consistent routines, and a structured personal development entitlement. The longer day and the Carlton Edge model will suit families who want education to include experiences, leadership opportunities, and clear expectations, not just GCSE preparation. It most suits pupils who benefit from structure, respond to predictable routines, and will engage with reading, writing, and enrichment as part of their week. The main question for parents is whether the improving culture and classroom picture translate into consistently stronger published outcomes over the next cycle.