Best Schools in Rochdale

How many schools are there in Rochdale?

Rochdale has 65 open schools: 41 state primary, 8 state secondary or all-through, 6 independent, 7 special and 3 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Rochdale are rated Outstanding?

2 schools in Rochdale were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Rochdale Sixth Form College and Kentmere Primary Academy. Counting Good as well, 93% of the 44 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.

Rochdale Sixth Form CollegeKentmere Primary Academy

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Rochdale get the best GCSE results?

Of the 9 schools in Rochdale with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Hollingworth Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 50.6 and 60% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Whitworth Community High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 47.4 and 48% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Oulder Hill Leadership Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 45.8 and 51% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Hollingworth AcademyWhitworth Community High SchoolOulder Hill Leadership Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Rochdale have the best SATs results?

Of the 32 primary schools in Rochdale with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Ashfield Valley Primary School (90% in reading, 97% in maths); Our Lady and St Anselm's Roman Catholic Primary School, Whitworth (83% in reading, 93% in maths); and Healey Foundation Primary School (77% 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.

Ashfield Valley Primary SchoolOur Lady and St Anselm's Roman Catholic Primary School, WhitworthHealey Foundation Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Rochdale?

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

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Rochdale have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Rochdale have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, the council 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 Rochdale?

Apply to your council - Rochdale or Lancashire, depending on your address - 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.