Path 4, Oldham
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 7 months agoReport card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
Path 4 excels at welcoming pupils who have struggled in traditional education and helping them rebuild confidence and engagement. Staff create a warm, caring environment with clear routines that help pupils feel safe and supported. The school offers creative vocational courses and practical learning that spark pupils' interests and prepare them well for their next steps.
Key Strengths
- Supportive staff who show genuine care for pupils' wellbeing and create a calm, respectful learning environment
- Successfully helps pupils with very low attendance to re-engage and attend school more regularly
- Offers engaging practical and vocational courses (motor mechanics, hair and beauty, cooking, art) that motivate pupils and broaden their interests
- Effective careers guidance and support to prepare pupils for their next steps in education or employment
Areas for Improvement
- Teaching quality is inconsistent - some pupils do not receive learning matched to their needs because staff lack expertise in adapting their teaching
- Curriculum does not sharply identify pupils' gaps in basic skills like reading, writing and numeracy when they start, so pupils don't get the right support from the beginning
- Attendance procedures are not effective enough for some pupils who struggle to attend
- School does not systematically monitor and evaluate whether improvement actions are actually working
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have created an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified and managed, keeping pupils safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Hair and beauty courses, cooking, art, motor mechanics, taekwondo, boxing, sensory garden activities, school rabbits care, fundraising events for charity, pupil-led knife crime awareness campaigns
Path 4 is an alternative provision school that helps pupils who have struggled with traditional education to re-engage with learning. The school has made progress in supporting pupil wellbeing and attendance for some students, but needs to improve the consistency and effectiveness of teaching and curriculum design.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
22%
Available places
13 pupils
60 capacity
47 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Oldham
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Oldham
Admissions Demand - Oldham
Places available
4,034
Applications
3,251
Got 1st preference
76.0%
Got preferred school
93.9%
Secondary admissions across Oldham (2025/26)
Inspection History(2)
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Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Path 4
Burnley Brow Community School
Westwood Academy
Bare Trees Primary School
St Hilda's CofE Primary School
Northmoor Academy
Richmond Academy
The Chadderton Preparatory School
St Herbert's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy
St Luke's CofE Primary School
St Patrick's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Nearby Schools
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