Newhouse Academy, Heywood

Ofsted's report card from its 22 September 2026 inspection grades Newhouse Academy on 6 areas: 6 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Expected standard. "Following a period of improvement, national tests show that the proportion of pupils at this school who attain standard and strong passes in English and mathematics is in line with the national average."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders have prioritised increasing attendance rates at the school."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have planned a suitably ambitious curriculum for pupils."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders have established secure systems to identify any barriers pupils may encounter with their learning or wellbeing."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders, including and trustees and members of the local governing body, have an accurate understanding about the strengths and strategic priorities for Newhouse Academy."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have devised a broad programme of personal development and wellbeing for pupils."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should continue their work to support teachers with their use of assessment to inform how they can shape teaching and learning and appropriately match it to the needs of pupils"; "Leaders should continue to improve how well teachers encourage and support pupils to develop their oracy skills so that they show confidence, independence and resilience when discussing their learning".

In 2026, pupils at Newhouse Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 44, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 44 in Rochdale and 47 across England.

41% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 41% in Rochdale and 47% in England.

That is up from 38.9 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.36: pupils made below 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 38.8, against 48.8 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 10 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 24 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Art and Design and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 130 families put Newhouse Academy as their first choice and 367 named it as one of their preferences, for 207 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Newhouse Academy are Holy Family Roman Catholic and Church of England College (0.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 51.8); St Anne's Church of England Academy (1.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 43.3); Edgar Wood Academy (1.4 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 41.4); and Matthew Moss High School (1.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 41.9).

Newhouse Academy's 2026 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.

Newhouse Academy is one of 3 schools run by Hollingworth Learning Trust, an academy trust.

Of the 202 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 78% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 59% to a further education college, 8% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.

43.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 12.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (73%), Black (7%) and Mixed (6%).

In 2026, 147 pupils (15.1%) received SEN support and 22 (2.3%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.

The nearest tram or metro stop is Heywood (East Lancashire Railway), about 1000 metres away (roughly a 12-minute walk).

6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Newhouse Academy (outside), 90 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Newhouse Academy stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In 2024/25, Newhouse Academy issued 387 suspensions, 39.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 6 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Newhouse Academy are Hopwood Community Primary School (0.3 miles); St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School Rochdale, a Voluntary Academy (0.4 miles); Harwood Park Primary School (0.6 miles); and Woodland Community Primary School (0.9 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.