Waterhead Academy
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Waterhead Academy is a sponsored academy in Oldham for boys and girls aged 11 to 16. It has 761 pupils and room for 1,500. About 54 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 8 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 20% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2025, no overall grade.
Huddersfield Road, Oldham, OL4 3NY0161 620 5859waterheadacademy.co.ukMrs Tracy Foy principalAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 14 January 2025, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Not judged Between September 2024 and November 2025, Ofsted graded each area but stopped giving one overall word.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
259 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
All GCSE measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 | Oldham | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 259 | 274 | 282 | 277 | 253 | 205 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 34.0 | 33.9 | 33.1 | 33.4 | 38.2 | 34.2 | 43.7 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | -0.72 | -0.75 | -0.89 | -0.50 | -0.88 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 22% | 23% | 18% | 21% | 28% | 21% | 37% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 39% | 42% | 35% | 35% | 49% | 42% | 59% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 2.98 | 3.00 | 2.84 | 2.70 | 3.02 | 2.83 | 3.85 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 43% | 38% | 31% | 4% | 13% | 20% | 47% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 29.8 | 29.5 | 28.7 | 27.7 | 35.3 | 30.9 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 38.1 | 37.6 | 36.9 | 37.4 | 40.1 | 36.4 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 17.9 | 23.0 | 22.9 | 20.9 | 20.8 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 51.3 | 58.3 | 60.6 | 53.6 | 51.5 | – | – |
Subjects
Results came out for 18 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.
Subjects that did worse than the England average: Physical Education (11% here, 56% across England), Geography (18% here, 51% across England), English Language (24% here, 54% across England), English Literature (28% here, 58% across England).
The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.
Every subject against England, 2025
| Subject | Entries | Grades 9 to 7 | Grades 9 to 5 | Grades 9 to 4 | England 9 to 5 | Rank in England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 256 | 7% | 25% | 47% | 53% | 3,090 of 3,211 |
| English Literature | 256 | 5% | 28% | 44% | 58% | 3,110 of 3,202 |
| English Language | 256 | 5% | 24% | 40% | 54% | 3,152 of 3,210 |
| Art and Design | 216 | 5% | 32% | 56% | 58% | 2,472 of 2,818 |
| Combined Science | 215 | 2% | 16% | 30% | 36% | 2,789 of 3,084 |
| Statistics | 156 | 3% | 33% | 57% | 51% | 293 of 375 |
| Geography | 136 | 6% | 18% | 27% | 51% | 3,021 of 3,116 |
| History | 112 | 7% | 26% | 40% | 52% | 2,918 of 3,126 |
| Spanish | 104 | 16% | 45% | 57% | 54% | 1,315 of 1,941 |
| Biology | 41 | 24% | 76% | 90% | 82% | 1,824 of 2,570 |
| Chemistry | 40 | 28% | 78% | 100% | 81% | 1,672 of 2,537 |
| Physics | 40 | 25% | 80% | 90% | 82% | 1,610 of 2,546 |
| Religious Studies | 29 | 10% | 48% | 62% | 60% | 1,387 of 1,825 |
| Physical Education | 27 | 0% | 11% | 33% | 56% | 1,524 of 1,559 |
| Social Studies | 21 | 0% | 38% | 57% | 54% | 826 of 1,043 |
| Other Modern Languages | 19 | 58% | 74% | 79% | 49% | – |
| Film Studies | 14 | 0% | 36% | 43% | 52% | – |
| Computer Science | 13 | 15% | 69% | 85% | 56% | – |
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. 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 GCSE, 2025
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.
577 places were empty (39% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 32% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.
How places were given out for September 2026.
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.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (71), language and communications needs (50), Moderate learning difficulty (40), Autistic spectrum disorder (9), Hearing impairment (5), Specific learning difficulty (3).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 761 | 947 | 1,128 | 1,261 | 1,358 | 1,375 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 54% | 50% | 47% | 45% | 39% | 36% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 37% | 42% | 45% | 45% | 50% | 49% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 21% | 17% | 17% | 18% | 12% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 2% | 2% | 1% | 1% | 2% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 90.8% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 9.3% | 12.2% | 14.8% | 12.6% | 8.6% | 7.0% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 3.8% | 5.2% | 5.0% | 5.1% | 2.9% | 3.1% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 5.4% | 7.0% | 9.8% | 7.5% | 5.7% | 3.9% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 29.7% | 37.5% | 47.4% | 43.4% | 25.8% | 20.7% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 46.7 | 85.7 | 59.2 | 38.2 | 7.7 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 9 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 2 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 282 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 85%, compared with 87% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 86% | 88% | 88% | 87% |
| Education | 84% | 86% | 86% | 82% |
| Apprenticeship | 2% | 1% | 2% | – |
| Work | – | 1% | 1% | 4% |
| Not in education, work or training | 7% | 8% | 6% | 9% |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
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.
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
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.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oasis Academy Leesbrook | Free school | 1.2 miles | 1,349 | Good 2023 | 51 | Compare |
| The Blue Coat CofE School | Academy | 1.5 miles | 1,702 | Outstanding 2022 | 93 | Compare |
| E-ACT Royton and Crompton Academy | Academy | 1.8 miles | 975 | No overall grade 2025 | 44 | Compare |
| The Brian Clarke Church of England Academy | Free school | 2.2 miles | 950 | No overall grade 2025 | 87 | Compare |
| E-ACT the Oldham Academy North | Academy | 2.3 miles | 1,258 | Not inspected | 79 | Compare |
| The Hathershaw College | Academy | 2.6 miles | 1,034 | Report card 2026 | 17 | Compare |
| The Crompton House Church of England Academy | Academy | 2.6 miles | 1,865 | Good 2024 | 50 | Compare |
| Saddleworth School | Academy | 2.8 miles | 1,444 | Requires improvement 2024 | – | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Waterhead Academy 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.
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 Waterhead Academy, 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.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hazel Wood High School | Academy | 8.9 miles | 671 | Good 2023 | 33 | Compare |
| The Albion Academy | Academy | 9.3 miles | 879 | Good 2023 | 52 | Compare |
| Moor End Academy | Academy | 12.0 miles | 1,053 | Outstanding 2024 | 84 | Compare |
| Royds Hall, A Share Academy | Academy | 12.3 miles | 853 | Good 2023 | 64 | Compare |
| Newsome Academy | Academy | 12.7 miles | 824 | Good 2024 | 63 | Compare |
| Salford City Academy | Academy | 13.7 miles | 876 | Report card 2026 | 49 | Compare |
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 8 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 8% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 5 to 11. 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 at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 20% | well below | -0.27 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 259 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | well below | -0.34 | Ofsted grade, 1.7 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | well below | -0.27 | DfE progress measure; 259 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | well above | +0.12 | results and attendance rising year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | below | -0.06 | 2024/25; 1,017 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | well below | -0.12 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 259 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | well below | -0.05 | 282 pupils |
| What parents say | 0% | 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 Waterhead Academy a good school?
The figures are weak. Waterhead Academy scores 8 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 20% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 5 to 11, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is Waterhead Academy's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Waterhead Academy not judged at its last full inspection on 14 January 2025.
How good are Waterhead Academy's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 22% 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 34.0, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished most of a grade behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How many pupils does Waterhead Academy have?
761 pupils aged 11 to 16 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,500 places, so it is 51% full.
Is Waterhead Academy oversubscribed?
Probably not. 577 places were empty in 2024/25 (39% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.
What is attendance like at Waterhead Academy?
Pupils were in school 90.8% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 30% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Waterhead Academy?
The average class had 22.2 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 22% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Huddersfield Road, Oldham, OL4 3NY
- Telephone
- 0161 620 5859
- Website
- www.waterheadacademy.co.uk
- Principal
- Mrs Tracy Foy
- Type of school
- Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- None
- Multi-academy trust
- The Co-operative Academies Trust (40 schools)
- Local authority
- Oldham
- Ward
- Saddleworth North
- Constituency
- Oldham East and Saddleworth
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 September 2016 (fresh start)
- URN
- 144508 · LAESTAB 3534004 · UKPRN 10063182
- Formerly
- Waterhead Academy
Recent changes
- New KS4 results for 2024/25
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- Admissions outcomes: Oldham council's published allocation statistics (source), entry years 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.