Hollingworth Academy, Rochdale
Hollingworth Academy is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Rochdale, part of Hollingworth Learning Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2022. Its 2026 GCSE results were the highest of the 8 schools in Rochdale with published results, and 901st of 3,298 across England. It was 99% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2022)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
- Progress (2024)
- Average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Rochdale (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Hollingworth Academy in detail
Hollingworth Academy in its own words
In its own words: "As Headteacher, I am passionate about inspiring learning and delivering an exceptional education for every young person. My vision is simple: to ensure all pupils achieve the very best outcomes, make outstanding progress and leave Hollingworth with every opportunity available to them. We are incredibly proud of our pupils' achievements and celebrate success in all its forms."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2026, pupils at Hollingworth Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 50.6, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 44 in Rochdale and 47 across England.
60% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 41% in Rochdale and 47% in England.
That is in line with 2025, when the score was 51.1.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.02: pupils made about average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.
Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 43.6, against 53.5 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 9.9 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 27 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Geography.
Getting a place at Hollingworth Academy
For September 2026 entry, 277 families put Hollingworth Academy as their first choice and 716 named it as one of their preferences, for 262 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 27 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Hollingworth Academy are Kingsway Park High School (1.5 miles, Attainment 8 39.2); The Crompton House Church of England Academy (1.9 miles, Good, Attainment 8 50.5); St Cuthbert's Roman Catholic High School, a Voluntary Academy (2 miles, Attainment 8 37.9); and Wardle Academy (2.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 44.6).
Hollingworth Academy's 2026 results were higher than all 4 of them.
Kingsway Park High SchoolThe Crompton House Church of England AcademySt Cuthbert's Roman Catholic High School, a Voluntary AcademyWardle Academy
The trust
Hollingworth Academy is one of 3 schools run by Hollingworth Learning Trust, an academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 265 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 86% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 46% to a further education college, 5% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Milnrow (Manchester Metrolink), about 600 metres away (roughly a 8-minute walk).
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Hollingworth Academy (outside), 90 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Hollingworth Academy issued 334 suspensions, 24.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Hollingworth Academy are Milnrow Parish Church of England Primary School (0.3 miles), Crossgates Primary School (0.5 miles), St Thomas' Church of England Primary School (0.6 miles) and Newhey Community Primary School (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Milnrow Parish Church of England Primary SchoolCrossgates Primary SchoolSt Thomas' Church of England Primary SchoolNewhey 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 destination measures; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its December 2022 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
30.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has remained stable at around -0.02 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has improved from 45.3 to 50.6 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has improved from 48% to 60% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 50.6 | 60.3% |
| Disadvantaged(76) | - | 43.6 | 39.5% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(186) | - | 53.5 | 68.8% |
| Boys(131) | - | 47.9 | 57.3% |
| Girls(131) | - | 53.4 | 63.4% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(42) | - | 54.9 | 73.8% |
| Non mobile(258) | - | 50.6 | 60.1% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 7 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
2
Permanent exclusions
0.15%
Exclusion rate
334
Suspensions
24.94%
Suspension rate
107 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 1,339 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Hollingworth Academy
Term dates
Hollingworth Academy 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
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Hollingworth Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Hollingworth Academy 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
- 6
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 4 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
1 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 Hollingworth Academy
Will you get a place at Hollingworth Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Hollingworth Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Hollingworth Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Hollingworth Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Rochdale, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Hollingworth Academy for 2014 to 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
1,339 pupils
1,350 places
11 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
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
151
SEN Support
54
EHC Plans
15.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
1,331
Total Pupils
687
Boys
644
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
75
Teachers
17.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£57,111
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,667
Per pupil
£10914k
Total funding
£414k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.4%
Overall absence
20.3%
Persistent absence
1,388
Enrolments
Absence trend
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
Hollingworth Academy
Showing 10 of 12 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Hollingworth Academy
What are GCSE results like at Hollingworth Academy?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Hollingworth Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 50.6. 60% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Hollingworth Academy's Ofsted rating?
Hollingworth Academy was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in December 2022. At its previous graded inspection in 2008 it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Hollingworth Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Hollingworth Academy is oversubscribed, Rochdale allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Hollingworth Academy?
Hollingworth Academy was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Hollingworth Academy?
Classes at Hollingworth Academy average 25.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Hollingworth Academy?
Hollingworth Academy has around 1331 pupils on roll. 30% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Hollingworth Academy?
7.4% of sessions were missed at Hollingworth Academy in 2024/25. 20.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Hollingworth Academy?
Apply through Rochdale's coordinated admissions process, naming Hollingworth Academy 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 Hollingworth Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 4 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 1 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 Hollingworth Academy?
Hollingworth Academy is at Cornfield Street, Milnrow, Rochdale, Lancashire, OL16 3DR.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)