Merlin Top Primary Academy

Bradford · BD22 6HZ

General information Primary School · 3-11 years Who goes here 343 pupils, 55.1% FSM

Educational attainment Ofsted and results

Parent score Rate this school No reviews yet - be the first SEN 23% on SEN support Behaviour 5.9% absence rate Staff 19.3% turnover Financials £8,000 per pupil Environment Buildings and facilities

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Merlin Top Primary Academy

General Information

Address: Braithwaite Avenue, Keighley, BD22 6HZ – View on map
Phone: 01535210028
Website: Visit school website
Headteacher: Mrs Kiara Grove
Age range: 3-11 years
Sixth form: No
Intake: Mixed
Religious character: Does not apply
Nursery provision: Yes

Who goes here

343 pupils out of 315 places At or near capacity

Pupils eligible for free school meals: 168
% eligible for free school meals: 55.1%
Pupil mix: 6 in 10 (more mixed than the Bradford average)
English as an additional language: 14% (England 22%)

Staff

Teachers leaving each year

Teacher turnover: 19.3% a year (Bradford 16%, typical in England 13.9%)
Where they went: about 15% moved to another school, 85% left state schools altogether (retirement, other careers, independent schools, abroad)
Data years: 2022/23 to 2024/25 (average of 3 years, DfE school workforce census)

Teachers who moved school or left state schools in the year after each November, as a share of all the school's teachers. Some turnover is healthy – retirements, promotions, moving house.

Behaviour

Awaiting Data

About this Behaviour status

We've asked this school for real behaviour figures under Freedom of Information and haven't had a response yet.

Across Bradford: suspensions by reason

Suspensions for sexual misconduct: 17 (0.3 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Permanent exclusions for sexual misconduct: 0
Suspensions for bullying: 7 (0.1 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Suspensions for abuse against sexual orientation or gender identity: 3 (0.1 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.0)
Data year: 2024/25 (DfE suspensions and exclusions statistics)

These are figures for all state primary schools in Bradford, not this school's own – the government doesn't publish them school by school. A suspension can have up to three reasons. Most sexual harassment between pupils never leads to a suspension, so these figures show only part of the picture.

Attendance

Overall absence: 5.9%
Persistently absent pupils: 18.1%
Data year: 2024/25

About persistent absence

A pupil is counted as "persistently absent" if they miss 10% or more of their possible school sessions - roughly one day in every two weeks. Schools and Ofsted both pay close attention to this figure specifically, since it can highlight a pattern the overall absence rate alone might hide.

SEN

No dedicated Unit or Resourced Provision

SEN Unit and Resourced Provision

Most mainstream schools don't have a dedicated SEN Unit or Resourced Provision - it isn't a mark against a school that doesn't, just a different kind of setup than one that does.

Pupils on SEN Support: 23.0%
Pupils with an EHC Plan: 5.8%
Data year: 2025/26

Most common needs - SEN Support

Speech, language and communications needs: 33 pupils
Moderate learning difficulty: 16 pupils
Social, emotional and mental health: 11 pupils
Autistic spectrum disorder: 7 pupils
Physical disability: 3 pupils

Most common needs - EHC Plan

Speech, language and communications needs: 9 pupils
Autistic spectrum disorder: 5 pupils
Social, emotional and mental health: 3 pupils
Physical disability: 1 pupil
Profound and multiple learning difficulty: 1 pupil

These figures show the makeup of the school.

About these SEND figures

These figures give a sense of the makeup of the school - they aren't a judgement on the quality of support provided.

Parent score - no reviews yet –

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Behaviour

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Openness

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Teaching Quality

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School Ethos

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Ability to Deal with Problems

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Headteacher Approval

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SafeguardingSafeguarding (parent rating)How parents rate the school on keeping children safe - how safe their child feels, and how well concerns are listened to and acted on. It's parents' experience, not an inspection result; Ofsted checks safeguarding separately.

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Wraparound CareWraparound Care (parent rating)How parents rate the school's breakfast and after-school clubs - availability, cost and quality. Only asked for infant, junior and primary schools, where it matters most for working parents.

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Would recommend –

Educational Attainment

No overall grade given 2024 report

About this Ofsted rating

Ofsted stopped giving single overall grades for a period between September 2024 and November 2025 - this school's most recent inspection falls in that window, so there's no single rating to show, even though it was inspected. The full report (linked below) still has the detail.

Year 6 SATs results

Met the expected standard in reading, writing & maths: 82% (England 62%)
Reached the higher standard: 11% (England 8%)
Compared with the area: 22 percentage points above the Bradford average (60%)
Compared with schools with similar pupils: Well above (3-year average 73% against an expected 55%)
3-year average (expected standard): 73%
Expected standard by subject: Reading 82% · Writing 89% · Maths 91% · Grammar, punctuation & spelling 82%
Average test scores: reading 107, maths 108
Based on: 44 Year 6 pupils, 2024/25

View the School Context Comparator – how this school's SATs results compare with schools teaching similar pupils.

SATs results over time

This schoolBradford averageEngland↗ Improving Up 14 percentage points since 2022/23. In 2024/25 this school was 22 percentage points above the Bradford average (60%).

Year 6 SATs: joint 8th of 158 junior and primary schools in the area

=6East Morton CofE Primary School83%
=8All Saints' CofE Primary School82%
=8Merlin Top Primary Academy82%
=10Beckfoot Heaton Primary81%
=10Keelham Primary School81%

Click to see the full ranking

Year 6 SATs ranking

Junior and primary schools in this area, ranked by the % of Year 6 pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (official DfE results, 2024/25). Schools with the same result share a place (shown as =). In small schools one or two children can move a school several places, so treat close positions as roughly equal.

Rank School Score

#1Barkerend Primary Leadership Academy92%
=2Baildon Church of England Primary School90%
=2Lift Feversham90%
#4Harden Primary School89%
#5St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy88%
=6Bankfoot Primary School83%
=6East Morton CofE Primary School83%
=8All Saints' CofE Primary School82%
=8Merlin Top Primary Academy82%
=10Beckfoot Heaton Primary81%
=10Keelham Primary School81%
=12Burley Oaks Primary School80%
=12Hollingwood Academy80%
=12Marshfield Primary80%
=12St Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy80%
=12Thackley Primary School80%
=17Brackenhill Primary School79%
=17Burley and Woodhead CofE Primary School79%
=17Farfield Primary and Nursery School79%
=17Lees Primary School79%
=17Thornbury Primary Leadership Academy79%
=22Dixons Marchbank Primary77%
=22Eastburn Primary School77%
=22Foxhill Primary School77%
=22Newhall Park Primary School77%
=26Crossflatts Primary School76%
=26Lower Fields Primary Academy76%
=26Sandy Lane Primary School76%
=26St John's CofE Primary School76%
=30Blakehill Primary School75%
=30Byron Primary School75%
=30Copthorne Primary School75%
=30Lady Royd Primary School75%
=30St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy75%
=35Eldwick Primary School73%
=35Hoyle Court Primary School73%
=35Steeton Primary School73%
#38Silsden Primary School72%
=39Bowling Park Primary School71%
=39Greengates Primary Academy71%
=39St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy71%
=39St Joseph's Catholic Primary School71%
=39Thorpe Primary71%
=44All Saints CofE Primary School70%
=44Haworth Primary School70%
=44Lilycroft Primary School70%
=44Low Ash Primary School70%
=44Menston Primary School70%
=44St Anne's Catholic Primary School70%
=44St Philip's CofE Primary School70%
=51Farnham Academy69%
=51St Cuthbert and the First Martyrs' Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy69%
=51St Luke's CofE Primary School69%
=54Beckfoot Priestthorpe Primary School & Nursery68%
=54Saltaire Primary School68%
=56Grove House Academy67%
=56Killinghall Primary School67%
=56Oxenhope CofE Primary School67%
=56Stanbury Village School67%
=56Worth Valley Primary School67%
=61Ashlands Primary School66%
=61Newby Primary School66%
=61Rainbow Primary Leadership Academy66%
=61Sandal Primary School66%
=65Co-op Academy Parkland65%
=65Miriam Lord Primary School65%
=65St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy65%
=68Dixons Manningham Academy64%
=68Frizinghall Primary School64%
=68Holybrook Primary School64%
=68Laycock Academy64%
=68Riddlesden St Mary's CofE Primary School64%
=73Appleton Academy63%
=73Dixons Music Primary63%
=73Heaton St Barnabas' CofE Aided Primary School63%
=73Victoria Primary School63%
=73Wilsden Primary School63%
=78Atlas Community Primary School62%
=78Cottingley Village Primary School62%
=78Our Lady of Victories Catholic School62%
=81Low Moor CofE Primary School61%
=81Trinity All Saints CofE VA Primary School61%
=81Wellington Primary School61%
=84Idle CofE Primary School60%
=84St Francis Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy60%
=84St William's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy60%
=84Wibsey Primary School60%
=84Woodlands Church of England Primary Academy60%
=89Addingham Primary School58%
=89Holycroft Primary School58%
=89St Columba's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy58%
=89Swain House Primary School58%
=89The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School58%
=89Woodside Academy58%
=95Home Farm Primary School57%
=95Ingrow Primary School57%
=95Myrtle Park Primary57%
=95Russell Hall Primary School57%
=95St. Clare's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy57%
=95Stocks Lane Primary School57%
#101Clayton Village Academy56%
=102Co-op Academy Penny Oaks55%
=102Cullingworth Village Primary School55%
=102Dixons Allerton Academy55%
=102Margaret McMillan Primary School55%
=102Westbourne Primary School55%
=107Horton Park Primary School54%
=107Poplars Farm Primary School54%
=107St Oswald's Church of England Primary Academy54%
=107St Paul's CofE Primary School54%
=107Westminster Church of England Primary Academy54%
#112Lapage Primary School and Nursery53%
=113Denholme Primary School52%
=113Southmere Primary Academy52%
=113St Stephen's CofE Primary School52%
=116Beckfoot Nessfield51%
=116High Crags Primary Leadership Academy51%
=116Shibden Head Primary Academy51%
=116St Winefride's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy51%
=120Cavendish Primary School50%
=120Horton Grange Primary School50%
=120Peel Park Primary School and Nursery50%
=120Reevy Hill Primary School50%
=120Ryecroft Primary Academy50%
=120Whetley Academy50%
=126The Academy At St. James49%
=126Wycliffe CofE Primary School49%
=128Bradford Academy48%
=128Green Lane Primary School48%
=130Girlington Primary School47%
=130St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy47%
=132Christ Church Church of England Academy46%
=132Hill Top CofE Primary School46%
=132Our Lady and St Brendan's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy46%
=135Carlton Mills45%
=135Thornton Primary School45%
=135Worthinghead Primary School45%
=138Parkwood Primary School44%
=138St John the Evangelist Catholic Primary School44%
=140Clayton St John CofE Primary School43%
=140Shipley CofE Primary School43%
=142Beckfoot Allerton Primary School and Nursery42%
=142Iqra Primary Academy42%
=144Co-op Academy Princeville41%
=144Eastwood Community School41%
=144Lidget Green Academy41%
=147Keighley St Andrew's CofE Primary School and Nursery40%
=147Ley Top Primary School40%
#149Long Lee Primary School39%
#150Meadow Bank Community School37%
#151Oakworth Primary School35%
=152Crossley Hall Academy33%
=152Oldfield Primary School33%
=152Shirley Manor Primary School33%
#155Carrwood Primary School30%
#156Baildon Glen Primary School29%
#157Fagley Primary School27%
#158Knowleswood Primary School20%

View full Ofsted inspection report

Financials

Spending per pupil: £8,000 (2024-25)

About this spending figure

A higher or lower position here isn't a sign of a better or worse school - schools have different needs and circumstances - but it can help reassure you that a school has sufficient funding behind your child's education.

14th of 156 primary schools in Bradford for spending per pupil

#12Parkwood Primary School£8,106
#13Holybrook Primary School£8,071
#14Merlin Top Primary Academy£8,000
#15Peel Park Primary School and Nursery£7,920
#16Keelham Primary School£7,912

Click to see the full ranking

Spending Per Pupil ranking

Based on official DfE financial return data (Consistent Financial Reporting / Academies Accounts Return) - not a ranking of school quality.

Rank School Score

#1Harden Primary School£12,052
#2Burley and Woodhead CofE Primary School£10,062
#3Oldfield Primary School£10,016
#4Ryecroft Primary Academy£9,179
#5Co-op Academy Parkland£9,120
#6Carrwood Primary School£9,030
#7Knowleswood Primary School£8,788
#8Shirley Manor Primary School£8,622
#9Worth Valley Primary School£8,577
#10Baildon Glen Primary School£8,510
#11Stanbury Village School£8,203
#12Parkwood Primary School£8,106
#13Holybrook Primary School£8,071
#14Merlin Top Primary Academy£8,000
#15Peel Park Primary School and Nursery£7,920
#16Keelham Primary School£7,912
#17Girlington Primary School£7,891
#18Christ Church Church of England Academy£7,882
#19Woodside Academy£7,855
#20Reevy Hill Primary School£7,781
#21Fagley Primary School£7,743
#22Co-op Academy Penny Oaks£7,723
#23Woodlands Church of England Primary Academy£7,714
#24Farfield Primary and Nursery School£7,707
#25St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy£7,705
#26Horton Park Primary School£7,691
#27High Crags Primary Leadership Academy£7,684
#28Long Lee Primary School£7,665
#29Shipley CofE Primary School£7,662
#30St William's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy£7,656
#31Atlas Community Primary School£7,611
#32St. Clare's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy£7,590
#33Meadow Bank Community School£7,564
#34Hoyle Court Primary School£7,537
#35Green Lane Primary School£7,448
#36Ingrow Primary School£7,431
#37St Columba's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy£7,353
#38Bowling Park Primary School£7,340
#39Trinity All Saints CofE VA Primary School£7,327
#40St Luke's CofE Primary School£7,300
#41Cavendish Primary School£7,286
#42Haworth Primary School£7,281
#43Ley Top Primary School£7,254
#44Clayton Village Academy£7,181
#45St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy£7,176
#46Our Lady of Victories Catholic School£7,153
#47Laycock Academy£7,114
#48Swain House Primary School£7,112
#49The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School£7,097
#50The Academy At St. James£7,094
#51Westminster Church of England Primary Academy£7,091
#52St Paul's CofE Primary School£7,079
#53Hill Top CofE Primary School£7,073
#54Our Lady and St Brendan's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy£7,062
#55Greengates Primary Academy£7,030
#56Steeton Primary School£6,979
#57Worthinghead Primary School£6,966
#58Denholme Primary School£6,962
#59Westbourne Primary School£6,903
#60St Philip's CofE Primary School£6,848
#61Holycroft Primary School£6,838
#62Saltaire Primary School£6,823
#63St Oswald's Church of England Primary Academy£6,790
#64Sandy Lane Primary School£6,779
#65Southmere Primary Academy£6,761
#66Clayton St John CofE Primary School£6,734
#67Stocks Lane Primary School£6,704
#68Newhall Park Primary School£6,675
#69Brackenhill Primary School£6,671
#70Newby Primary School£6,671
#71St Joseph's Catholic Primary School£6,661
#72Eastburn Primary School£6,650
#73St Francis Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy£6,645
#74Miriam Lord Primary School£6,645
#75Riddlesden St Mary's CofE Primary School£6,644
#76Foxhill Primary School£6,640
#77St Stephen's CofE Primary School£6,626
#78Russell Hall Primary School£6,623
#79Ashlands Primary School£6,622
#80Myrtle Park Primary£6,622
#81Crossflatts Primary School£6,619
#82Whetley Academy£6,601
#83St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy£6,594
#84St Walburga's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy£6,592
#85St Anne's Catholic Primary School£6,589
#86Eastwood Community School£6,589
#87Thorpe Primary£6,571
#88All Saints' CofE Primary School£6,561
#89Home Farm Primary School£6,549
#90All Saints CofE Primary School£6,531
#91Crossley Hall Academy£6,527
#92Bankfoot Primary School£6,518
#93Low Ash Primary School£6,487
#94St Cuthbert and the First Martyrs' Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy£6,464
#95St John the Evangelist Catholic Primary School£6,443
#96St Winefride's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy£6,442
#97Lady Royd Primary School£6,427
#98Co-op Academy Princeville£6,424
#99Victoria Primary School£6,421
#100Killinghall Primary School£6,419
#101Lilycroft Primary School£6,418
#102Beckfoot Heaton Primary£6,407
#103Cottingley Village Primary School£6,390
#104Eldwick Primary School£6,390
#105Carlton Mills£6,383
#106Baildon Church of England Primary School£6,382
#107Dixons Manningham Academy£6,379
#108Frizinghall Primary School£6,378
#109Lower Fields Primary Academy£6,367
#110Burley Oaks Primary School£6,355
#111Dixons Marchbank Primary£6,354
#112Oxenhope CofE Primary School£6,348
#113Copthorne Primary School£6,342
#114Addingham Primary School£6,321
#115Rainbow Primary Leadership Academy£6,311
#116Silsden Primary School£6,302
#117Wilsden Primary School£6,301
#118Barkerend Primary Leadership Academy£6,237
#119St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy£6,237
#120Thornton Primary School£6,228
#121Poplars Farm Primary School£6,219
#122Beckfoot Allerton Primary School and Nursery£6,210
#123Beckfoot Nessfield£6,175
#124Blakehill Primary School£6,163
#125Horton Grange Primary School£6,159
#126Wellington Primary School£6,141
#127Beckfoot Priestthorpe Primary School & Nursery£6,119
#128Byron Primary School£6,114
#129Lidget Green Academy£6,113
#130Iqra Primary Academy£6,113
#131Wibsey Primary School£6,110
#132Lees Primary School£6,103
#133Margaret McMillan Primary School£6,101
#134Thornbury Primary Leadership Academy£6,078
#135Wycliffe CofE Primary School£6,075
#136Heaton St Barnabas' CofE Aided Primary School£6,061
#137Menston Primary School£6,056
#138St John's CofE Primary School£6,047
#139Lift Feversham£5,956
#140Thackley Primary School£5,954
#141Sandal Primary School£5,918
#142Oakworth Primary School£5,879
#143East Morton CofE Primary School£5,824
#144Cullingworth Village Primary School£5,808
#145Low Moor CofE Primary School£5,762
#146Lapage Primary School and Nursery£5,753
#147Idle CofE Primary School£5,737
#148St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy£5,663
#149Keighley St Andrew's CofE Primary School and Nursery£5,558
#150Dixons Music Primary£5,544
#151Marshfield Primary£5,525
#152Shibden Head Primary Academy£5,433
#153Farnham Academy£5,376
#154Grove House Academy£5,366
#155Hollingwood Academy£5,225
#156St Matthew's CofE Primary School and Nursery£3,381

View on the Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool (GOV.UK)

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