Freehold Community Academy, Oldham
Freehold Community Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Oldham, part of Focus Academy Trust (uk) Ltd. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2018. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 50th-highest of the 68 schools in Oldham with published results, and 11,486th of 14,452 across England. It was 99% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2018)
- 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
Freehold Community Academy in detail
Results
In 2025, 72% of Year 6 pupils at Freehold Community Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 61% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 73% and 74% in Oldham and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (66% in reading, 72% in maths).
Getting a place at Freehold Community Academy
For September 2026 entry, 52 families put Freehold Community Academy as their first choice and 91 named it as one of their preferences, for 53 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Freehold Community Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Freehold Community Academy are Christ Church CofE Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 92% reading, 92% maths); Stanley Road Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 64% reading, 61% maths); Corpus Christi RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy (0.5 miles); and St Luke's CofE Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 59% reading, 45% maths).
Freehold Community Academy's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.
Christ Church CofE Primary SchoolStanley Road Primary SchoolCorpus Christi RC Primary School, a Voluntary AcademySt Luke's CofE Primary School
The trust
Freehold Community Academy is one of 15 schools run by Focus Academy Trust (uk) Ltd, an academy trust.
Who goes there
79% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (79%), other ethnic groups (8%) and Black (8%).
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Freehold (Manchester Metrolink), about 150 metres away (roughly a 2-minute walk).
20 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Lincoln Street, 60 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Freehold Community 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, Freehold Community Academy issued 16 suspensions, 3.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Freehold Community Academy are Saint John Henry Newman Roman Catholic College, A Voluntary Academy (0.6 miles); The Brian Clarke Church of England Academy (0.7 miles); The Radclyffe School (0.9 miles); and Oasis Academy Oldham (0.9 miles).
Saint John Henry Newman Roman Catholic College, A Voluntary AcademyThe Brian Clarke Church of England AcademyThe Radclyffe SchoolOasis Academy Oldham
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; 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 · 3 years agoThis judgement is from September 2018, 8 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good and may be improving; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its September 2018 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
32.2%
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 improved from 66% to 72% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 72% to 61% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 77% to 72% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.8
Avg class size
26.4
Infant (KS1)
31.1
KS2
14
Total classes
6 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Freehold Community Academy
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Freehold Community Academy.
- First Class Oldham440m away · Not yet graded
- CLC Learning Ltd670m away · Not yet graded
- Oldham Central Centre910m away · Not yet graded
- Corpus Christi Before & After School Care Service CIO920m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Freehold Community Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Freehold Community 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
- 31
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 14
- Children hurt
- 7
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 31 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 14 serious and 17 slight.
7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 7 on foot.
7 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 Freehold Community Academy
Will you get a place at Freehold Community Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Freehold Community Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Freehold Community Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Freehold Community Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Oldham, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Freehold Community Academy for 2016 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
99%
Near capacity
416 pupils
420 places
4 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
52
SEN Support
21
EHC Plans
16.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
447
Total Pupils
237
Boys
210
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
23
Teachers
19.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,068
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,826
Per pupil
£2767k
Total funding
£217k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.7%
Overall absence
17.4%
Persistent absence
380
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
Questions parents ask about Freehold Community Academy
What are SATs results like at Freehold Community Academy?
Of the pupils at Freehold Community Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 72% reached the expected standard in reading and 61% did so in maths.
What is Freehold Community Academy's Ofsted rating?
Freehold Community Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in September 2018, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Freehold Community Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Freehold Community 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 Freehold Community Academy?
Freehold Community Academy was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Freehold Community Academy?
Classes at Freehold Community Academy average 27.8 pupils (2025/26). 6 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Freehold Community Academy?
Freehold Community Academy has around 447 pupils on roll. 32% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Freehold Community Academy?
5.7% of sessions were missed at Freehold Community Academy in 2024/25. 17.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Freehold Community Academy?
Apply through Oldham's coordinated admissions process, naming Freehold Community 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 Freehold Community Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 4 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Freehold Community Academy: First Class Oldham (440m away, registered, not yet graded), CLC Learning Ltd (670m away, registered, not yet graded) and Oldham Central Centre (910m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Freehold Community Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 31 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 14 serious and 17 slight. 7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 7 on foot. 7 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 Freehold Community Academy?
Freehold Community Academy is at Sidmouth Street, Oldham, Greater Manchester, OL9 7RG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)