Falinge Park High School, Rochdale
Falinge Park High School is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Rochdale, part of Watergrove Trust. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 5th-highest of the 8 schools in Rochdale with published results, and 2,143rd of 3,298 across England. It was 99% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Below England average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 4 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Rochdale (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Falinge Park High School in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at Falinge Park High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 43.2, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 44 in Rochdale and 47 across England.
46% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 41% in Rochdale and 47% in England.
Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 41.9, against 44.3 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 2.4 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 23 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and History.
Getting a place at Falinge Park High School
For September 2026 entry, 261 families put Falinge Park High School as their first choice and 583 named it as one of their preferences, for 266 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 7 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Falinge Park High School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Falinge Park High School are Oulder Hill Leadership Academy (0.9 miles, Attainment 8 45.8); Matthew Moss High School (1.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 41.9); Kingsway Park High School (1.9 miles, Attainment 8 39.2); and Wardle Academy (2.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 44.6).
Falinge Park High School's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
Oulder Hill Leadership AcademyMatthew Moss High SchoolKingsway Park High SchoolWardle Academy
The trust
Falinge Park High School is one of 9 schools run by Watergrove Trust, an academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 265 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 89% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 39% to a further education college and 1% to an apprenticeship.
Who goes there
48.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 70.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (70%), White British (14%) and Mixed (5%).
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Rochdale Interchange (Manchester Metrolink), about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Falinge Park High School (opposite), 70 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Falinge Park High School 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, Falinge Park High School issued 199 suspensions, 14.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Falinge Park High School are Spotland Primary Academy (0.2 miles), Meanwood Community Nursery and Primary School (0.4 miles), Greenbank Primary School (0.6 miles) and Shawclough Community Primary School (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Spotland Primary AcademyMeanwood Community Nursery and Primary SchoolGreenbank Primary SchoolShawclough Community Primary School
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 destination measures; 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Falinge Park High School has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in October 2024. Before that, as Falinge Park High School (URN 105837), it was rated Good in September 2013.
About
Falinge Park High School is an 11–16 mixed comprehensive school in the Shawclough area of the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale in Greater Manchester, United Kingdom and is part of the Watergrove Trust. The school has been recognised as an Investor in People and has gained the International School Award, as well as Artsmark Gold, Sportsmark Gold and the Healthy Schools...
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
48.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
43.2
Attainment 8
46.1%
Eng+Maths 5+
2025/26 academic year
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 43.2 | 46.1% |
| Disadvantaged(121) | - | 41.9 | 38.8% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(137) | - | 44.3 | 52.6% |
| Boys(124) | - | 40.1 | 41.1% |
| Girls(134) | - | 46.0 | 50.7% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(186) | - | 45.1 | 49.5% |
| Non mobile(254) | - | 43.6 | 46.9% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 3 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 265 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
0
Permanent exclusions
0.00%
Exclusion rate
199
Suspensions
14.64%
Suspension rate
117 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 1,359 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Falinge Park High School
Term dates
Falinge Park High School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Rochdale's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Falinge Park High School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Falinge Park High School is in Rochdale; for families living there:
- Rochdale's school travel policy: Home to School Transport Policy
- How to apply: Apply for school travel expenses
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 3 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
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 Rochdale is 10 (the median across 106 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 Falinge Park High School
Will you get a place at Falinge Park High School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Falinge Park High School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Falinge Park High School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Falinge Park High School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Rochdale, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Falinge Park High School for 2025 and 2026 entry.
- How many families in Rochdale 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
99%
Near capacity
1,361 pupils
1,365 places
4 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Rochdale
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Rochdale
Across Rochdale council
Places available
3,030
Applications
2,860
Got 1st preference
86.8%
Got preferred school
97.0%
All secondary applications across Rochdale council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
206
SEN Support
50
EHC Plans
19.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
1,344
Total Pupils
666
Boys
678
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
92
Teachers
14.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,789
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,783
Per pupil
£11399k
Total funding
£626k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
10.3%
Overall absence
30.4%
Persistent absence
1,409
Enrolments
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Falinge Park High School
Showing 10 of 13 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Falinge Park High School
What are GCSE results like at Falinge Park High School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Falinge Park High School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 43.2. 46% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Falinge Park High School's Ofsted rating?
Falinge Park High School has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in October 2024. Before that, as Falinge Park High School (URN 105837), it was rated Good in September 2013.
What is the catchment area for Falinge Park High School?
No fixed boundary. When Falinge Park High School is oversubscribed, Rochdale allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Falinge Park High School?
Falinge Park High School was full in 2025, at 100% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Falinge Park High School?
Classes at Falinge Park High School average 26.6 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Falinge Park High School?
Falinge Park High School has around 1344 pupils on roll. 48% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Falinge Park High School?
10.3% of sessions were missed at Falinge Park High School in 2024/25. 30.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Falinge Park High School?
Apply through Rochdale's coordinated admissions process, naming Falinge Park High School on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Falinge Park High School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 3 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 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 Rochdale is 10 (the median across 106 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Falinge Park High School?
Falinge Park High School is at Falinge Road, Shawclough, Rochdale, Lancashire, OL12 6LD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)