Best Schools in Oldham

How many schools are there in Oldham?

Oldham has 117 open schools: 79 state primary, 13 state secondary or all-through, 9 independent, 13 special and 3 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Oldham are rated Outstanding?

8 schools in Oldham were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Westwood Academy, The Blue Coat CofE School, Hollinwood Academy, New Bridge School, Kingfisher Special School and 3 more. Counting Good as well, 89% of the 84 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Westwood AcademyThe Blue Coat CofE SchoolHollinwood AcademyNew Bridge SchoolKingfisher Special School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Oldham get the best GCSE results?

Of the 13 schools in Oldham with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at The Blue Coat CofE School, with an Attainment 8 score of 57 and 68% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; The Crompton House Church of England Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 50.5 and 56% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Saddleworth School, with an Attainment 8 score of 49.2 and 55% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

The Blue Coat CofE SchoolThe Crompton House Church of England AcademySaddleworth School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Oldham have the best SATs results?

Of the 66 primary schools in Oldham with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Buckstones Primary School (93% in reading, 97% in maths); Crompton Primary School (90% in reading, 100% in maths); and Fir Bank Primary School (93% in reading, 97% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Buckstones Primary SchoolCrompton Primary SchoolFir Bank Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Oldham?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Oldham selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Oldham have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Oldham have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, Oldham allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Oldham?

Apply to Oldham through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.