Appleton Academy is a mainstream all-through school with resourced provision in Bradford for children and young people aged 3 to 16. Its specialist base has 20 places for specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia), speech, language and communication and autism.
- Ages 3–16
- 1,207 pupils
- Ofsted report card (2026)
School details
- Type
- Mainstream school with resourced provision
- Ages
- 3 to 16
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Specialist base
- Resourced provision, 20 places, 20 pupils
- Pupils
- 1,207
- Headteacher
- Ms Rachel Cruise
- Part of
- Exceed Academies Trust
- Council
- Bradford
- School reference (URN)
- 145173
Needs its base supports
3 needs: dyslexia and SpLD, speech and language and 1 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
- Autism Other schools for this in Bradford (32)
- Speech, language and communication Other schools for this in Bradford (15)
Cognition and learning
- Specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia) Other schools for this in Bradford (5)
How to get a place
4 steps, starting with an EHC plan
- An EHC plan
Places in an SEN unit or resourced provision are usually for children with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. If your child doesn’t have one yet, you can ask the council for an assessment yourself.
- Visit and ask about the base
See the school and its specialist base, and ask how children split their time between the base and mainstream classes.
- Ask for the school to be named
Tell the council that looks after the plan (often Bradford council) that you want this school and its base, and ask them to consult it.
- Named in the plan
If the school is named in your child’s plan, it must admit your child. Places in the base itself are agreed between the council and the school, so ask how they decide.
Questions to ask when you visit
8 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them on the day.
Ofsted
Report card, June 2026: Expected standard in 4 of 7 areas
Inspected in June 2026 under Ofsted’s new report cards, which grade each area separately, from Exceptional to Urgent improvement, instead of one overall grade.
- InclusionExpected standard
- Curriculum and teachingNeeds attention
- AchievementNeeds attention
- Attendance and behaviourExpected standard
- Personal development and wellbeingExpected standard
- Early yearsExpected standard
- Leadership and governanceNeeds attention
- SafeguardingMet
Contact and getting there
Woodside Road, Bradford, BD12 8AL
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
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The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- Broadbeck Learning Centre Independent · Ages 6–18 · Ofsted: Good 1.4 miles
- Cliffe Hill Community Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted: Good 1.6 miles
- Co-op Academy Southfield Special school · Ages 11–19 · Ofsted: Good 2.2 miles
By need in Bradford: Autism (33) · Speech and language (16) · Severe learning (14) · SEMH (11) · PMLD (11) · Hearing (11) · Moderate learning (10) · Physical (10) · Vision (9) · Dyslexia and SpLD (6) · Multi-sensory (5)
Questions about Appleton Academy
How do I get a place in Appleton Academy’s specialist base?
Places in an SEN unit or resourced provision usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan: ask the council that looks after the plan to consult the school about its base. If the school is named in the plan it must admit your child; places in the base itself are agreed between the council and the school.
What needs does Appleton Academy support?
Specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia), speech, language and communication and autism. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Appleton Academy take?
Aged 3 to 16, boys and girls.
What is Appleton Academy’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in June 2026 at its last graded inspection. Newer inspections no longer give a single overall grade, so read the latest report for the full picture.
Where is Appleton Academy?
Woodside Road, Bradford, BD12 8AL, in Bradford.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.