Oulder Hill Leadership Academy, Rochdale

In 2026, pupils at Oulder Hill Leadership Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 45.8, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 44 in Rochdale and 47 across England.

51% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 41% in Rochdale and 47% in England.

That is up from 44.4 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.11: 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 42.5, against 47.6 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 5.1 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 20 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 175 families put Oulder Hill Leadership Academy as their first choice and 579 named it as one of their preferences, for 210 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 Oulder Hill Leadership Academy are Falinge Park High School (0.9 miles, Attainment 8 43.2); Matthew Moss High School (1.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 41.9); Kingsway Park High School (2.2 miles, Attainment 8 39.2); and Holy Family Roman Catholic and Church of England College (2.6 miles, Good, Attainment 8 51.8).

Oulder Hill Leadership Academy's 2026 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.

Oulder Hill Leadership Academy is one of 36 schools run by Star Academies, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 50.6 in 2024/25.

161 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Oulder Hill Leadership Academy (as of September 2025): 70% would recommend the school, 75% say their child is happy there and 56% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (83%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (56%).

Of the 263 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 88% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 43% to a further education college, 1% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

36.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 31.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are Asian (43%), White British (39%) and Mixed (7%).

In 2026, 164 pupils (14.2%) received SEN support and 17 (1.5%) 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 a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia.

The nearest tram or metro stop is Rochdale Interchange (Manchester Metrolink), about 1.3 miles away in a straight line.

2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Oulder Hill Leadership Academy, 230 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Oulder Hill Leadership Academy stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In 2024/25, Oulder Hill Leadership Academy issued 56 suspensions, 4.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 5 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Oulder Hill Leadership Academy are Caldershaw Primary School (0.5 miles); St Vincent De Paul Roman Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy (0.5 miles); Meanwood Community Nursery and Primary School (0.6 miles); and Spotland Primary Academy (0.8 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.