Carlton Bolling is a large secondary school of over 1,600 students situated close to the centre of Bradford. It has been on a remarkable improvement journey over recent years, after going into Special Measures in 2014 under high-profile circumstances and being dubbed ‘The Most Broken School in the Country’. From this low point, it underwent rapid improvement, attaining an ‘Outstanding’ rating from Ofsted less than two years after coming out of Special Measures.

This success was followed by accreditation as a World Class School in 2018 and being named ‘Secondary School of the Year’ in the 2019 Pearson/BBC National Teaching Awards. In 2024, the school received the prestigious Careers Mark Award, celebrating its outstanding careers education and guidance provision. Most recently, Carlton Bolling was proud to be named Secondary Provision of the Year at the 2025 NASEN Awards, and shortlisted as Secondary School of the Year finalist in  the TES School Awards  in recognition of its inclusive, innovative and high-impact educational practices.

In 2019, Carlton Academy Trust (CAT) was formed out of the success of Carlton Bolling. Since then, the Trust has experienced rapid growth and now proudly oversees three secondary schools, three primary schools, and three special schools, collectively educating nearly 5,000 students and employing almost 1,000 staff. All CAT schools are rated either Outstanding or Good by Ofsted.

Like all schools in the Trust, Carlton Bolling is a great place to work, with friendly, supportive, and helpful staff. Class sizes are small, averaging just 16 across all year groups in Maths and English, with slightly higher numbers in other subjects. Student behaviour and conduct are excellent, promoted and maintained by a large team of non-teaching Heads of Year. In line with Trust priorities, meetings, bureaucracy, and paperwork are kept to an absolute minimum, with staff regularly recognised and rewarded for their contributions.

One of the school’s standout initiatives is the Carlton Cares programme – a comprehensive staff wellbeing initiative that includes access to healthcare benefits, salary sacrifice schemes, and a range of support services designed to promote work-life balance, professional fulfilment, and personal wellbeing.