Holy Family Roman Catholic and Church of England College, Heywood

Secondary
Voluntary aided school
Mixed
Roman Catholic/Church of England
Ages 1116

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~2.1km)Possible (~2.9km)Unlikely (~3.8km)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data. Admissions policy: Non-selective

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Karen Ames
Pupils:768 / 750 capacity
LA:Rochdale
Phone:01706360607
Address:Pot Hall, Wilton Grove, Heywood, OL10 2AA
Admissions:Non-selective
Status:open
Opened:1 September 2007

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 6 months ago

Report card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)

Achievement
Expected Standard
Behaviour
Expected Standard
Personal Development
Expected Standard
Leadership
Expected Standard
Inspected 31 March 2026View full report
URN:131726
UKPRN:10025356
Diocese:Diocese of Salford
Constituency:Heywood and Middleton North
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Holy Family is a genuinely caring school where your child will feel known, valued and safe. Staff greet pupils warmly by name each morning, and the school works hard to ensure every pupil - regardless of background or barriers - can access the same ambitious learning. The school excels at providing diverse enrichment opportunities and helping pupils discover new interests and talents.

Key Strengths

  • Warm, inclusive culture where pupils feel safe and cared for, with strong positive relationships throughout the school community
  • Ambitious, broad curriculum delivered well by teachers with good subject knowledge
  • Effective support for pupils with barriers to learning through designated spaces, trained staff, and specialist external partnerships
  • Range of enrichment activities and leadership opportunities that help pupils develop confidence and discover new interests
  • Secure progress in most subjects with pupils moving on to ambitious next steps in education, training or employment

Areas for Improvement

  • Persistent absence among disadvantaged pupils is too high and hampers their achievement
  • Some gaps in pupils' learning, including inconsistencies in handwriting accuracy for older pupils, are not identified quickly enough
  • Occasional inconsistency in how teachers check what pupils know and do
  • Some pupils lack detailed knowledge of fundamental British values and protected characteristics
  • A small number of pupils do not always show self-discipline at social times

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met - the school has created an open and positive culture of safeguarding where all legal requirements are met and pupils are made safer and feel safe.

Extracurricular Activities

DJ club, sports clubs, chess, Duke of Edinburgh's award, anti-bullying council, school council, prefects, mock interviews, new-age curling

Holy Family Roman Catholic and Church of England College is a caring school where pupils feel known and valued. The school provides an ambitious curriculum with strong personal development opportunities, though some areas need improvement including attendance for disadvantaged pupils and consistency in checking learning gaps.

At a Glance

20.6%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Class Sizes

25.0

Avg class size

27

Total classes

3 classes with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

Belgrave Street (nr)
321m · 5 min walk
Walker Street (opp)
322m · 5 min walk
Seymour Street (nr)
484m · 8 min walk
Unity Street (opp)
494m · 8 min walk
Walton Street (W-bound)
562m · 9 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

102%

Over capacity

768 pupils

750 capacity

18 places over capacity

Area Demand Pressure - Heywood

Low pressure
New homes approved:381
Projected new pupils:69

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Heywood

Admissions Demand - Rochdale

Low demand0.99x oversubscription

Places available

3,037

Applications

3,006

Got 1st preference

85.7%

Got preferred school

95.8%

Secondary admissions across Rochdale (2025/26)

Inspection History(5)

31 March 2026Report card
Achievement
Behaviour
Personal Development
Leadership
25 January 2022
28 February 2017

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

7.45354%

Overall absence

22.13836%

Persistent absence

795

Enrolments

Authorised4.73629%
Unauthorised2.71725%
Persistent (10%+)22.13836%
Severe (50%+)4.15094%

Absence trend

4.34208%
18/19
4.55978%
20/21
8.3776%
21/22
8.56202%
22/23
8.28094%
23/24
7.45354%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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