School Chooser

Holy Rosary RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy

Primary · ages 3-11MixedAcademyRoman Catholic226 pupilsNursery Free breakfast clubOldham
School Chooser ScoreNot scoredThere isn't enough published data yet. To get a score, a school needs results or an inspection plus at least one other figure.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, November 2022
Reached the expected level at 1133%England 63%
Attendance94.9%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families48%Far more than most schools
PlacesFull226 pupils, 210 places
Pupils per teacher19.2School workforce census

Holy Rosary RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy is a converter academy in Oldham for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 226 pupils, 16 more than it has places for. About 48 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.

Fir Tree Avenue, Fitton Hill, Oldham, OL8 2SR0161 624 3035holyrosary.oldham.sch.ukMrs Tracy Cavanagh headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 8 November 2022, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Requires improvement
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

30 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. These are the results of Holy Rosary RC Junior Infant and Nursery School, the school this one replaced.

Reached the expected level at 1133%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level0%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score102.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score97.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 31%31%20172018: 52%52%20182019: 21%21%20192023: 37%37%20232024: 53%53%20242025: 33%33%2025
Since 2017: +2%
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure2025†2024†2023†2019†2018†2017†OldhamEngland
Pupils tested303027302932
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths33%53%37%21%52%31%59%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%10%4%0%7%0%4%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score102.0104.0102.096.0100.099.0104.5105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score97.0102.0101.097.099.0100.0103.8104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score102.0105.0103.098.099.0100.0105.0105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard63%83%67%37%59%53%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard43%73%52%37%62%53%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)67%67%59%34%66%47%
Reading progressReading progress score+0.5-4.3-2.5-4.5
Maths progressMaths progress score-0.1-4.0-3.5-3.3
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged44%58%31%9%44%23%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged21%45%45%28%55%37%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

† These results are for Holy Rosary RC Junior Infant and Nursery School, the school this one replaced in July 2025. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

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. 1 of the 4 gaps 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 the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
44%21%
Gap 23 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
50%19%
Gap 31 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
21%33%
Gap 12 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%0%
No gapEngland 5 pts
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

Admissions policy not published. As a Roman Catholic school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Will my child get a place?

The last child to get a place lived 660 m away in 2025. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils, faith and other priority groups are placed first. After that, the closer you live, the better your chances. Type in your postcode to see how far away you are.

We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.

How places were given out for September 2025. More children applied than there were places. The last place went to a child living 660 m from the school. Living closer than that didn't guarantee a place, but living much further away meant missing out that year.

EntryPlacesHow far the last child livedSource
2025 Primary30660 mLA

What a home within 660 m of the school costs

Typical sale price within 660 m of the school£205,497half sold for £149k to £287k
Homes sold112December 2023 to December 2025, Land Registry
Compared with the district-1%a typical home in the district sells for £207,500

Every home sold within that distance of the school (the typical cut-off over the last three years), of any type, from HM Land Registry records. If homes here cost more than the district average, that is the price people pay to live close enough to get in.

Who goes here

Who the school teaches, from the latest school census.

Pupils on roll226Census January 2026
Places210108% full
Pupils from low-income families47%48% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English31%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support13%29 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan6%13 pupils with a plan
Average class size28.07 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils14%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)48%£153,450 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls118 / 108
White British pupils50%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 30.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 29.8 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (25), Moderate learning difficulty (10), emotional and mental health (3), Autistic spectrum disorder (2), Severe learning difficulty (1), Vision impairment (1).

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.9% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance94.9%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school13.2%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Missed without permission1.7%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/25†2023/24†2022/23†2021/22†2020/21†2018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.1%5.6%5.9%5.4%2.8%5.0%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.3%3.0%3.8%3.6%1.4%2.0%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.7%2.6%2.1%1.8%1.4%3.1%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence13.2%15.3%19.4%15.5%8.4%12.3%12.8%

† These attendance figures are for Holy Rosary RC Junior Infant and Nursery School, the school this one replaced in July 2025. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Staff and money

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

Teachers11.5full-time equivalent, 12 people
Pupils per teacher19.2Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants10.5full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£52,137
Vacancies0

Money

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

Money in reserve24%A lot put by: £67k, £298 per pupil
Money in against money out+£48kit took in more than it spent this year

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 stop60 mBeechwood Road, 24 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 primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Medlock Valley Primary SchoolAcademy480 m337Good 202420Compare
St Martin's CofE Junior Infant and Nursery SchoolChurch of England520 m225No overall grade 202471Compare
Lyndhurst Primary and Nursery SchoolAcademy0.7 miles460No overall grade 202524Compare
Broadfield Primary SchoolAcademy0.8 miles384Report card 202611Compare
Alexandra Park Junior SchoolAcademy0.9 miles342Requires improvement 20212Compare
Limehurst Community Primary SchoolCouncil0.9 miles323Good 202466Compare
Coppice Primary AcademyAcademy0.9 miles525Not inspected29Compare
Holy Family RC Primary SchoolAcademy0.9 miles206Report card 202624Compare

Questions parents ask

Is Holy Rosary RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy a good school?

Holy Rosary RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy doesn't have a score yet. Ofsted rated it good at its last inspection in November 2022.

What is Holy Rosary RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Holy Rosary RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy good at its last full inspection on 8 November 2022.

How good are Holy Rosary RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 33% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 0% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Holy Rosary RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy have?

226 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 210 places, so it is 108% full.

Is Holy Rosary RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?

Yes. For September 2025 the last place went to a child living 660 m away. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils and other priority groups come before distance, so the cut-off moves every year.

What is attendance like at Holy Rosary RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy?

Pupils were in school 94.9% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 13% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Holy Rosary RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy?

The average class had 28.0 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 14% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

Does Holy Rosary RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy have a breakfast club?

Yes. It is on the government's free breakfast club programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school.

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

Contact and details

Address
Fir Tree Avenue, Fitton Hill, Oldham, OL8 2SR
Telephone
0161 624 3035
Website
www.holyrosary.oldham.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Tracy Cavanagh
Free breakfast club
Yes: on the government's programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school (listed since September 2026).
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic, Diocese of Salford
Multi-academy trust
Emmaus Catholic Academy Trust (38 schools)
Local authority
Oldham
Ward
Medlock Vale
Constituency
Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 July 2025 (academy converter)
URN
151821 · LAESTAB 3533328 · UKPRN 10098044
Formerly
Holy Rosary RC Junior Infant and Nursery School

Where these figures come from