Rawmarsh Community School, Rotherham

Ofsted's report card from its 10 March 2026 inspection grades Rawmarsh Community School on 6 areas: 4 expected standard and 2 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have a well-informed and accurate understanding of the quality of the curriculum."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "This is an inclusive school."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders, including those responsible for governance, have a secure understanding of the school's strengths and areas for development."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Pupils access a well-planned and appropriate personal development offer."

Achievement - Needs attention. "On the whole, pupils do not achieve well at the school in national tests and examinations at the end of key stage 4."

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "Attendance at the school, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged, is below the national average."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should continue their work to ensure that the curriculum is consistently taught well and that highly effective teaching is embedded across subjects and year groups, so that pupils achieve well at the end of key stage 4"; "Leaders should continue their work to improve pupils' attendance and reduce the number of pupils persistently absent"; "Leaders should continue their work to ensure that gaps in pupils' foundational knowledge, particularly handwriting, are closed".

From the headteacher's welcome: "Rawmarsh Community School is an 11-16 school with 1095 students on roll. Our school is proudly part of Wickersley Partnership Trust; a family of like-minded secondary and primary schools. Education is a cornerstone of personal and societal development, vital in shaping individuals and communities. We firmly believe education to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

In 2026, pupils at Rawmarsh Community School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 40.1, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 43.9 in Rotherham and 47 across England.

34% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 41% in Rotherham and 47% in England.

That is up from 38.8 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.43: 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 34.9, against 44.4 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 9.5 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 22 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Statistics, Combined Science and History.

For September 2026 entry, 148 families put Rawmarsh Community School as their first choice and 192 named it as one of their preferences, for 173 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 Rawmarsh Community School are Swinton Academy (1.6 miles, Good, Attainment 8 40.7); Saint Pius X Catholic High School A Specialist School in Humanities (1.8 miles, Attainment 8 39.7); Wingfield Academy (1.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 50.1); and Wath Academy (2.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 49.7).

Rawmarsh Community School's 2026 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.

Rawmarsh Community School is one of 13 schools run by Wickersley Partnership Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 39.5 in 2024/25.

73 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Rawmarsh Community School (as of April 2026): 62% would recommend the school, 58% say their child is happy there and 36% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (62%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (36%).

Of the 220 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 84% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 59% to a further education college, 6% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.

42.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 5.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The nearest tram or metro stop is Parkgate Platform to Sheffield, about 1.6 miles away in a straight line.

7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Monkwood Road/Birchwood Avenue (opposite), 230 metres away.

In 2024/25, Rawmarsh Community School issued 464 suspensions, 42.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.

The primary schools closest to Rawmarsh Community School are Monkwood Primary School (0.3 miles), Rawmarsh Thorogate Junior and Infant School (0.5 miles), Rawmarsh Rosehill Junior School (0.5 miles) and Rawmarsh Ryecroft Infant School (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.