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Schools across Oldham

Local authority · 129 schools across 5 towns

New inspection results and open days, weekly by email.

Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 4 days

Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Oldham (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.

Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days

Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Oldham (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.

Year 7 dates to calendar Reception dates to calendarHow to apply in Oldham →

Schools in Oldham (129)

Showing 20 of 129 schools

Total Schools

129

86 primary · 14 secondary

Total Pupils

45,967

71% capacity used

Ofsted Rated

29

2 outstanding · 27 good

Capacity

64,367

18,400 spare places

Ofsted Ratings

27
96
Outstanding: 2
Good: 27
Requires Improvement: 4
Not inspected: 96

Best Schools in Oldham

View the full league table - ranked by Ofsted, Progress 8, KS2 results and more

Area Performance (2026)

Attainment 8

39.2

GCSE Eng+Maths

32.7%

School Capacity

Primary Schools

88% full
24,100 pupils27,306 capacity

3,206 spare places

Secondary Schools

91% full
18,610 pupils20,432 capacity

1,822 spare places

Pupil Absence

Avg Overall Absence

6.6%

2024/25

Avg Persistent Absence

17.9%

2024/25

Schools Reporting

92

2024/25

Absence trend across Oldham schools

5.4%
18/19
5.8%
20/21
7.6%
21/22
7.4%
22/23
7.2%
23/24
6.6%
24/25

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Average across all open schools in this LA.

EHCP Timeliness

Issued Within 20 Weeks

90%

Plans Issued

347

Assessment Requests

872

Tribunal Cases

12

EHCP timeliness trend (% issued within 20 weeks)

81%
2019
91%
2020
90%
2021
96%
2022
93%
2023
86%
2024
90%
2025

Source: DfE EHCP timeliness statistics. Shows how quickly this LA issues Education, Health and Care Plans.

Admission Appeals

2026 admission appeals by school phase

Primary

3,637 admissions

117

Lodged

(3.2%)

93

Heard

8

Successful

(9%)

Primary (infant classes)

3,253 admissions

80

Lodged

(2.5%)

64

Heard

3

Successful

(5%)

Secondary

3,921 admissions

310

Lodged

(7.9%)

270

Heard

36

Successful

(13%)

Total

7,558 admissions

427

Lodged

(5.6%)

363

Heard

44

Successful

(12%)

Total appeals lodged per year

1602
2019
1449
2020
1171
2021
1007
2022
885
2023
1002
2024
953
2025
934
2026

Source: DfE admission appeals statistics. Shows how competitive school places are in this area.

Towns in Oldham

Oldham

117 schools

Manchester

9 schools

Greater Manchester

1 schools

Oldham NOT BOLTON

1 schools

Oldham Ol9 9QE

1 schools

Questions parents ask about schools in Oldham

How many schools are there in Oldham?

Oldham has 129 open schools: 86 state primary, 14 state secondary or all-through, 10 independent, 16 special and 3 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Oldham are rated Outstanding?

10 schools in Oldham were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Westwood Academy, The Blue Coat CofE School, Glodwick Infant and Nursery School, Hollinwood Academy, Propps Hall Junior Infant and Nursery School and 5 more. Counting Good as well, 90% of the 93 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 SchoolGlodwick Infant and Nursery SchoolHollinwood AcademyPropps Hall Junior Infant and Nursery School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Oldham get the best GCSE results?

Of the 14 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 71 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.

Explore More

The Great School Divide
Anatomy of Outstanding
League Tables