Alt Academy, Oldham
Alt Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Oldham, part of The Harmony Trust Ltd. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2017. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2022 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 67th-highest of the 68 schools in Oldham with published results, and 14,023rd of 14,452 across England. It was 98% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2017)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Oldham (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Alt Academy in detail
Alt Academy in its own words
In its own words: "At Alt Academy, our vision and values shape everything we do . We believe every child deserves the chance to thrive, feel safe and be inspired to be the best that they can be ."
The school runs after-school care.
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 47% of Year 6 pupils at Alt Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 51% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 73% and 74% in Oldham and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 56% in reading and 53% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Alt Academy
For September 2026 entry, 37 families put Alt Academy as their first choice and 60 named it as one of their preferences, for 45 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Alt Academy are St Hugh's CofE Primary School (0.2 miles, 65% reading, 77% maths); Roundthorn Primary Academy (0.5 miles, Good, 80% reading, 93% maths); St Thomas' Leesfield CofE Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 81% reading, 84% maths); and Glodwick Infant and Nursery School (0.8 miles, Outstanding).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Alt Academy.
St Hugh's CofE Primary SchoolRoundthorn Primary AcademySt Thomas' Leesfield CofE Primary SchoolGlodwick Infant and Nursery School
The trust
Alt Academy is one of 17 schools run by The Harmony Trust Ltd, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 52% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
51.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 50.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (42%), White British (33%) and Black (12%).
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Oldham Mumps (Manchester Metrolink), about 1.4 miles away in a straight line.
14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Abbeyhills Road (near), 80 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Alt Academy stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Alt Academy issued 7 suspensions, 2.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Alt Academy are Oasis Academy Leesbrook (0.5 miles) and St Damian's RC Science College (1.3 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from September 2017, 9 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its September 2017 inspection - up from Inadequate.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
51.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 56% to 47% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 51% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 60% to 56% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.9
Avg class size
28.7
Infant (KS1)
29.2
KS2
10
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Alt Academy
Before and after school care
Alt Academy is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Oldham
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Alt Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Alt Academy is in Oldham; for families living there:
Apply to Oldham for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 9
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 6
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 3 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot.
0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Oldham is 14 (the median across 129 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Alt Academy
Will you get a place at Alt Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Alt Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Alt Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Alt Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Oldham, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Alt Academy for 2015 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Oldham got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
98%
Near capacity
310 pupils
315 places
5 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Oldham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Oldham
Across Oldham council
Places available
3,927
Applications
2,814
Got 1st preference
92.0%
Got preferred school
98.4%
All primary applications across Oldham council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
60
SEN Support
19
EHC Plans
23.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
343
Total Pupils
160
Boys
183
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
17
Teachers
20.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,185
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,341
Per pupil
£2335k
Total funding
£259k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.2%
Overall absence
18.8%
Persistent absence
277
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Alt Academy
Questions parents ask about Alt Academy
What are SATs results like at Alt Academy?
Of the pupils at Alt Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 47% reached the expected standard in reading and 51% did so in maths.
What is Alt Academy's Ofsted rating?
Alt Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2022, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in September 2017, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Alt Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Alt Academy is oversubscribed, Oldham allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Alt Academy?
Alt Academy was close to full in 2025, at 98% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Alt Academy?
Classes at Alt Academy average 28.9 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Alt Academy?
Alt Academy has around 343 pupils on roll. 52% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Alt Academy?
6.2% of sessions were missed at Alt Academy in 2024/25. 18.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Alt Academy?
Apply through Oldham's coordinated admissions process, naming Alt Academy on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Alt Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Alt Academy is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school.
How many road collisions happen near Alt Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 3 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot. 0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Oldham is 14 (the median across 129 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Alt Academy?
Alt Academy is at Alt Lane, Oldham, Lancashire, OL8 2EL.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)