School Chooser

Moorhouse Academy

Primary · ages 3-11MixedAcademy210 pupilsNursery Free breakfast clubRochdale
School Chooser Score
20
Below
similar schools
Likely range 10 to 38
Out of 100. Better than 42% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, October 2023
Reached the expected level at 1155%England 63%
Attendance93.9%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families44%Far more than most schools
Places30 spare210 pupils, 240 places
Pupils per teacher20.8School workforce census

Moorhouse Academy is a sponsored academy in Rochdale for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 210 pupils and room for 240. About 44 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 20 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 42% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Crossley Street, Milnrow, Rochdale, OL16 4DR01706 642742moorhouseacademy.co.ukMrs Kelly Milnes headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 17 October 2023, 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
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

20 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1155%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level5%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score101.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score102.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 38%38%20172018: 32%32%20182019: 34%34%20192023: 29%29%20232024: 48%48%20242025: 55%55%2025
Since 2017: +17%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure2025202420232019†2018†2017†RochdaleEngland
Pupils tested204655293124
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths55%48%29%34%32%38%60%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths5%0%0%0%0%0%4%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score101.0102.099.0100.099.098.0104.3105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score102.0100.098.098.098.0100.0103.8104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score103.0103.0101.0100.0101.0100.0105.1105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard60%67%49%59%45%42%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard60%61%49%38%42%54%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)60%76%56%59%48%50%
Reading progressReading progress score-3.0-2.5-5.0-4.1
Maths progressMaths progress score-3.4-5.5-4.8-1.7
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged64%32%25%23%23%29%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged33%63%33%44%39%57%

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 Moorhouse Primary School, the school this one replaced in April 2021. 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. 2 of the 3 gaps are 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
64%33%
Gap 31 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
55%56%
Gap 1 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
7%5%
Gap 2 ptsEngland 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.

A few spare places181 pupils for 210 places, 2024/25
86% full

About 29 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have fallen by 21% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Rochdale council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

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 roll210Census January 2026
Places24088% full
Pupils from low-income families43%44% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English26%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support16%33 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%8 pupils with a plan
Average class size25.58 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)47%£136,400 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls114 / 96
White British pupils63%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 25.7 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 28.0 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (18), language and communications needs (17), Specific learning difficulty (3), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (2), Physical disability (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census20262025202420232022
Pupils on roll210207224240238
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals43%45%43%44%39%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language26%26%25%23%19%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support15%17%15%19%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%3%3%3%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.9% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance93.9%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school19.4%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils1.52024/25, 1 permanent exclusion
Missed without permission4.1%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.1%6.3%7.4%8.6%7.6%4.9%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.1%2.9%4.2%5.3%4.5%3.3%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence4.1%3.4%3.3%3.3%3.1%1.6%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence19.4%16.2%25.6%32.1%24.6%12.1%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate1.57.11.70.8
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions10010

† These attendance figures are for Moorhouse Primary School, the school this one replaced in April 2021. 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.

Teachers9.9full-time equivalent, 11 people
Pupils per teacher20.8Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants8.6full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£53,370
Teachers who left in the year10%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher4.42024/25

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.

Spend per pupil£7,743England £7,128. Total £1.6m
Income per pupil£8,228England £7,587. Total £1.7m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,356England £3,405
Money in reserve10%A healthy amount put by: £168k, £832 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£98kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,743spent 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£207,000Rochdale
Nearest bus stop130 mMoorhouse Fold, 20 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
Milnrow Parish Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England630 m192Good 202355Compare
Crossgates Primary SchoolFoundation850 m312Good 202362Compare
Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary AcademyAcademy0.7 miles219Good 2024Compare
Belfield Community SchoolCouncil0.8 miles429No overall grade 202524Compare
St Peter's Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England0.9 miles455Good 202245Compare
Newhey Community Primary SchoolCouncil1.1 miles285Report card 202611Compare
Lowerplace Primary SchoolCouncil1.2 miles533Good 202410Compare
St Thomas' Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy1.3 miles111Good 2023Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Moorhouse Academy with the 48 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 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats42%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 20 is 8 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 2 · middle 28 · highest 79100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 20 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 20% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 10 to 38. 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 years25%below
-0.24
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 20 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 2.9 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.19
DfE progress measure; 20 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well above
+0.22
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.08
2024/25; 170 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well below
-0.13
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 20 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 Moorhouse Academy a good school?

The figures are weak. Moorhouse Academy scores 20 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 42% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 10 to 38, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been getting better over the last five years.

What is Moorhouse Academy's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Moorhouse Academy good at its last full inspection on 17 October 2023.

How good are Moorhouse Academy's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 55% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 5% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Moorhouse Academy have?

210 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 240 places, so it is 88% full.

Is Moorhouse Academy oversubscribed?

Probably not. 29 places were empty in 2024/25 (14% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Moorhouse Academy?

Pupils were in school 93.9% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 19% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Moorhouse Academy?

The average class had 25.5 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

Does Moorhouse 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
Crossley Street, Milnrow, Rochdale, OL16 4DR
Telephone
01706 642742
Website
www.moorhouseacademy.co.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Kelly Milnes
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
Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Watergrove Trust (9 schools)
Local authority
Rochdale
Ward
Milnrow & Newhey
Constituency
Rochdale
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 April 2021 (new provision)
URN
148436 · LAESTAB 3542014 · UKPRN 10087754
Formerly
Moorhouse Primary School

Where these figures come from