Schools across Rochdale

How many schools are there in Rochdale?

Rochdale has 106 open schools: 69 state primary, 13 state secondary or all-through, 7 independent, 12 special and 5 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Rochdale are rated Outstanding?

8 schools in Rochdale were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: St Michael's Church of England Primary School, Bamford; Cedar Lodge School; Hopwood Community Primary School; All Souls Church of England Primary School; Bowlee Park Community Primary School; and 3 more. Counting Good as well, 90% of the 78 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.

St Michael's Church of England Primary School, BamfordCedar Lodge SchoolHopwood Community Primary SchoolAll Souls Church of England Primary SchoolBowlee Park Community Primary School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Rochdale get the best GCSE results?

Of the 15 schools in Rochdale with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Holy Family Roman Catholic and Church of England College, with an Attainment 8 score of 51.8 and 63% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Hollingworth Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 50.6 and 60% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Cardinal Langley Roman Catholic High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 46 and 43% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Holy Family Roman Catholic and Church of England CollegeHollingworth AcademyCardinal Langley Roman Catholic High School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Rochdale have the best SATs results?

Of the 55 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); All Souls Church of England Primary School (87% in reading, 90% 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 SchoolAll Souls Church of England Primary SchoolHealey 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, Rochdale 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 Rochdale 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.