School Chooser

E-ACT the Oldham Academy North

Secondary · ages 11-16MixedAcademy1,258 pupilsOldham
School Chooser Score
79
Above
similar schools
Likely range 73 to 83
Out of 100. Better than 88% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
Strong pass in English and maths44%England 46%
Attendance93.7%England 91.4%
Pupils from low-income families50%Far more than most schools
Places122 spare1,258 pupils, 1,380 places
Pupils per teacher19.4School workforce census
Pupils on roll1,258Census January 2026

E-ACT the Oldham Academy North is a sponsored academy in Oldham for boys and girls aged 11 to 16. It has 1,258 pupils and room for 1,380. About 50 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 79 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 88% of the 50 schools most like it.

Broadway, Royton, Oldham, OL2 5BF0161 652 2428theoldhamacademynorth.e-act.org.ukMrs Natalie Kennerley headteacher (acting)All details

Ofsted

Ofsted hasn't published an inspection for this school yet.

Results

GCSE results, summer 2025

295 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.

Average GCSE score48.2
England 46.8
Official name: Attainment 8
Strong pass in English and maths44%
England 46%
Official name: Grade 5+ in English and maths
Standard pass in English and maths69%
England 66%
Official name: Grade 4+ in English and maths
Progress from age 11+0.38In each subject, pupils here finished about half a grade ahead of children across England who started secondary school at the same level. (From 2023/24, the latest year there is. The government didn't work it out for the 2025 year group.)Official name: Progress 8
Trend
Average GCSE score
2018 to 2025
2018: 43.743.720182019: 42.142.120192022: 50.950.920222023: 46.146.120232024: 46.946.920242025: 48.248.22025
Since 2018: +4.5Steady overall
All GCSE measures, year by year
Measure202520242023202220192018OldhamEngland
Pupils at the end of Year 11295295241237218175
Average GCSE scoreAttainment 848.246.946.150.942.143.743.746.8
Progress from age 11Progress 8+0.38+0.54+0.66+0.15+0.29
Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths44%48%41%54%29%31%37%46%
Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths69%67%71%73%53%51%59%66%
Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score4.364.244.064.303.183.163.854.15
Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry53%56%42%12%2%5%47%41%
Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged45.243.741.246.840.540.9
Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged50.549.750.054.344.247.1
Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers31.534.538.328.127.7
Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers66.564.470.954.460.2

Subjects

Results came out for 17 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.

Strongest subjects

Spanish74%grades 9 to 5, England 54% · 368th of 1,941 schools
Chemistry100%grades 9 to 5, England 81% · 291st of 2,537 schools
Physics98%grades 9 to 5, England 82% · 533rd of 2,546 schools
Biology98%grades 9 to 5, England 82% · 497th of 2,570 schools

Subjects that did worse than the England average: Statistics (21% here, 51% across England).

What is taught hereOffers triple science, computer science.

The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.

Every subject against England, 2025
Mathematics295 entries · 3rd of 10 in Oldham
46%England 53%
English Literature295 entries · 2nd of 10 in Oldham
64%England 58%
English Language295 entries · 2nd of 10 in Oldham
53%England 54%
Statistics280 entries · 3rd of 3 in Oldham
21%England 51%
Combined Science248 entries · 2nd of 10 in Oldham
42%England 36%
History226 entries · 4th of 10 in Oldham
50%England 52%
Spanish151 entries · 1st of 8 in Oldham
74%England 54%
Art and Design83 entries · 5th of 10 in Oldham
69%England 58%
Religious Studies53 entries · 2nd of 6 in Oldham
64%England 60%
Geography52 entries · 2nd of 10 in Oldham
46%England 51%
Physics46 entries · 2nd of 7 in Oldham
98%England 82%
Chemistry46 entries · 1st of 7 in Oldham
100%England 81%
Biology46 entries · 2nd of 7 in Oldham
98%England 82%
Business38 entries · 3rd of 6 in Oldham
47%England 51%
Computer Science20 entries · 2nd of 7 in Oldham
65%England 56%
0%England 49%
SubjectEntriesGrades 9 to 7Grades 9 to 5Grades 9 to 4England 9 to 5Rank in England
Mathematics29517%46%74%53%1,970 of 3,211
English Literature29522%64%77%58%949 of 3,202
English Language29519%53%72%54%1,495 of 3,210
Statistics2804%21%43%51%329 of 375
Combined Science2488%42%61%36%1,004 of 3,084
History22620%50%65%52%1,604 of 3,126
Spanish15122%74%85%54%368 of 1,941
Art and Design8318%69%93%58%927 of 2,818
Religious Studies5330%64%72%60%831 of 1,825
Geography5219%46%58%51%1,658 of 3,116
Physics4661%98%100%82%533 of 2,546
Chemistry4663%100%100%81%291 of 2,537
Biology4663%98%100%82%497 of 2,570
Business3811%47%63%51%918 of 1,806
Computer Science2050%65%85%56%623 of 1,861
Other Modern Languages110%0%0%49%
Drama933%67%78%60%

In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. Every gap at this school is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At GCSE, 2025

Average GCSE scoreLow-income pupils vs other pupils
45.250.5
Gap 5.3England 12.2
Strong pass in English and mathsLow-income pupils vs other pupils
39%48%
Gap 9 ptsEngland 22 pts
Average GCSE scoreBoys vs girls
46.849.4
Gap 2.6England 3.0
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Open to all. There is no entrance test.

A few spare places1,286 pupils for 1,500 places, 2024/25
86% full

About 214 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have fallen by 5% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

How places were given out for September 2026.

EntryPlacesPut it firstApplied at allGot a placeFirst choices who got inHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Secondary30087427LA
2025 Secondary300117369LA
2024 Secondary30086355LA
2023 Secondary300116320LA
2022 Secondary300121358279100%all offeredLA

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll1,258Census January 2026
Places1,38091% full
Pupils from low-income families50%50% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English52%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support9%116 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%21 pupils with a plan
Average class size28.342 classes, January 2026; England 22.8
Classes with more than 30 pupils38%share of one-teacher classes; England 12%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)51%£693,000 extra funding in 2026/27; England 30%
Boys and girls650 / 608
White British pupils10%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (52), emotional and mental health (28), Moderate learning difficulty (23), Specific learning difficulty (14), Autistic spectrum disorder (9), Physical disability (5).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll1,2581,2841,3301,3381,3221,289
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals50%47%42%39%39%35%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language52%56%51%55%62%58%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support10%9%6%6%5%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%2%1%2%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.

Attendance93.7%
England 91.4%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school15.4%
England 23.9%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils11.52024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission3.2%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.3%7.5%8.9%6.6%8.2%5.5%8.6%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.1%3.9%5.7%4.5%5.2%2.3%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence3.2%3.6%3.2%2.1%3.0%3.2%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence15.4%20.6%29.9%20.3%21.7%13.6%23.9%
SuspensionsSuspension rate11.517.912.07.44.6
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

What pupils do next

After GCSEs

Where the 241 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training92%and stayed there for at least six months

Among pupils from low-income families it was 89%, compared with 95% for everyone else.

Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers2019/20 leavers
Still in education, work or training92%92%91%94%
Education91%89%89%94%
Apprenticeship1%0%1%0%
Work0%2%1%1%
Not in education, work or training6%7%4%4%

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers65.0full-time equivalent, 67 people
Pupils per teacher19.4Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers99%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants16.3full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£51,338
Teachers who left in the year21%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies2
Sick days per teacher6.52024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other secondary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£6,867England £7,965. Total £8.8m
Income per pupil£8,940England £8,423. Total £11m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,684England £4,444
Money in reserve12%A healthy amount put by: £1.4m, £1,074 per pupil. England 10%
Money in against money out+£2.7mit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,867spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Local crime rate0 per 1,000 people100% lower than the England average
Typical house price£208,000Oldham
Nearest bus stop50 mOldham Academy North, 18 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
E-ACT Royton and Crompton AcademyAcademy1.1 miles975No overall grade 202544Compare
North Chadderton SchoolAcademy1.1 miles1,524No overall grade 202436Compare
The Blue Coat CofE SchoolAcademy1.2 miles1,702Outstanding 202293Compare
The Brian Clarke Church of England AcademyFree school1.3 miles950No overall grade 202587Compare
The Radclyffe SchoolAcademy1.6 miles1,430Good 2024Compare
The Crompton House Church of England AcademyAcademy1.6 miles1,865Good 202450Compare
Saint John Henry Newman Roman Catholic College, A Voluntary AcademyAcademy1.9 miles1,469Requires improvement 20233Compare
St Cuthbert's Roman Catholic High School, a Voluntary AcademyAcademy2.1 miles1,023Requires improvement 20222Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares E-ACT the Oldham Academy North with the 50 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 50 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats88%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 79 is 35 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 3 · middle 44 · highest 93100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 50 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than E-ACT the Oldham Academy North, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Our Lady's RC High SchoolRoman Catholic4.2 miles1,046Report card 202584Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 79 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 79% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 73 to 83. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years20%in line
-0.01
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 295 pupils
Ofsted inspection0%no data
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.16
DfE progress measure; 295 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.10
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.11
2024/25; 1,343 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well above
+0.16
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 295 pupils
What pupils do next5%in line
0.00
241 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is E-ACT the Oldham Academy North a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. E-ACT the Oldham Academy North scores 79 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 88% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 73 to 83, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

How good are E-ACT the Oldham Academy North's GCSE results?

In summer 2025, 44% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 48.2, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished about half a grade ahead of children across England who started secondary school at the same level.

How many pupils does E-ACT the Oldham Academy North have?

1,258 pupils aged 11 to 16 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,380 places, so it is 91% full.

Is E-ACT the Oldham Academy North oversubscribed?

Probably not. 214 places were empty in 2024/25 (14% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at E-ACT the Oldham Academy North?

Pupils were in school 93.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 15% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at E-ACT the Oldham Academy North?

The average class had 28.3 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 38% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

Does E-ACT the Oldham Academy North have a sixth form?

No. Pupils leave after Year 11 for a sixth form elsewhere, a college or an apprenticeship; 92% of 2022/23 leavers were still in education, work or training six months on.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Broadway, Royton, Oldham, OL2 5BF
Telephone
0161 652 2428
Website
theoldhamacademynorth.e-act.org.uk
Headteacher (Acting)
Mrs Natalie Kennerley
Type of school
Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
Phase
Secondary school, ages 11-16
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
E-Act (37 schools)
Local authority
Oldham
Ward
Royton North
Constituency
Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 September 2010 (new provision)
URN
136115 · LAESTAB 3536906 · UKPRN 10030433
Formerly
Grange School

Recent changes

  • New KS4 results for 2024/25

Where these figures come from