The Brian Clarke Church of England Academy, Oldham

From the headteacher's welcome: "I am absolutely honoured to be appointed as the first Headteacher of the Brian Clarke Church of England Academy. This is a new school for Oldham, providing an excellent education for your child and a school community that is a true microcosm of our town - aspirational, multi-cultural, multi-faith and multi-talented."

For September 2026 entry, 458 families put The Brian Clarke Church of England Academy as their first choice and 1241 named it as one of their preferences, for 224 places offered. That is 2 first choices for every place. 312 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to The Brian Clarke Church of England Academy are The Blue Coat CofE School (0.7 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 57); Saint John Henry Newman Roman Catholic College, A Voluntary Academy (1.3 miles, Attainment 8 46.8); E-ACT the Oldham Academy North (1.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45.5); and Oasis Academy Oldham (1.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 44.5).

The Brian Clarke Church of England Academy is one of 10 schools run by Cranmer Education Trust, an academy trust.

88 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about The Brian Clarke Church of England Academy (as of September 2025): 91% would recommend the school, 92% say their child is happy there and 81% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that the school has high expectations for their child (97%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (81%).

41.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 37.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are Asian (52%), White British (22%) and Black (13%).

The Brian Clarke Church of England Academy had 63 teachers in 2026, one for every 11 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical secondary school, at about one for every 17.

The nearest tram or metro stop is Westwood (Manchester Metrolink), about 250 metres away (roughly a 3-minute walk).

35 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Oldham College (opposite), 130 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The Brian Clarke Church of England 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, The Brian Clarke Church of England Academy issued 45 suspensions, 6.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to The Brian Clarke Church of England Academy are Richmond Academy (0.1 miles); Northmoor Academy (0.2 miles); St Patrick's RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy (0.2 miles); and Westwood Academy (0.3 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.