Waterhead Academy
Secondary · Academy sponsor led · Ages 11–16 · Oldham
Last distance offered · Year 7 2026
Every applicant was offered a place
From Oldham Council · offers on 2 March 2026
2022–2025 trend 🔒
Nearby schools' earlier years 🔒
Waterhead Academy is a secondary school in Oldham for ages 11–16 (academy sponsor led). Its latest Ofsted outcome is Not judged, from the inspection on 14 January 2025. Oldham has published a last distance offered for this school for Year 7 2022 to 2026 entry.
Waterhead Academy catchment area: last distance offered
Parents often call this the catchment area: it's how far from the school the last child offered a place lived. It changes every year.
| Entry | Last distance offered |
|---|---|
| Year 7 2026 | Every applicant was offered a place |
| Year 7 2025 | 🔒 With a pass |
| Year 7 2024 | 🔒 With a pass |
| Year 7 2023 | 🔒 With a pass |
| Year 7 2022 | 🔒 With a pass |
What the pass includes · How to read it: one past year, not a catchment
What the figures show
- Its latest Ofsted outcome, on 14 January 2025, was Not judged; the previous graded outcome was Inadequate (18 October 2022).
- In 2024/25, 22% of pupils got grade 5 or above in GCSE English and maths (England 45%), and the Attainment 8 score was 34 (England 46).
- That 2024/25 figure of 22% was the lowest of 7 schools: this one and the 6 of the 8 nearest secondary schools in Oldham that have results.
- Year 7 2026 entry: 61 first-choice applications for 83 offers; every first-choice family was offered a place, and 22 offers went to families who ranked it second or lower.
Worked out by Catchmently from the published figures on this page and those for other Oldham schools. Distances are as published; how they were measured differs between admission authorities.
Key facts
- Address
- Huddersfield Road, Oldham, OL4 3NY
- Type
- Academy sponsor led
- Phase
- Secondary
- Ages
- 11–16
- Council
- Oldham
- Pupils on roll
- 761 January 2026 school census
- Free school meals
- 54.3% of pupils eligible
- Pupils per teacher
- 15.1
Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026
Ofsted
Not judged Inspected 14 January 2025
Strengths
- “Most pupils are happy to be part of this very welcoming school community.”
- “Pupils from a wide range of backgrounds mix well with each other.”
- “Staff care for pupils’ well-being and safety.”
To improve
- “However, pupils learn better in some lessons than in others.”
- “This is because the curriculum is not delivered consistently well.”
- “As a result, pupils do not achieve as well as they should.”
Safeguarding: Effective
Quoted from the Ofsted report published 13 February 2025 (read the report). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.
Exam results
| Measure | School | England |
|---|---|---|
| GCSE English and maths, grade 5 or above (2024/25) | 22% | 45% |
| Attainment 8 score (2024/25) | 34 | 46 |
Department for Education school performance data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Applications and offers
- 2026 Year 7 entry: 61 first-preference applications, 83 offers in total, 61 offers to first-preference applicants.
Department for Education, school-level applications and offers, figures on national offer day. Earlier years are in the pass.
Nearby secondary schools
Straight-line distance, in Oldham.
- Oasis Academy Leesbrook 1.2 mi Good Last distance published
- The Blue Coat CofE School 1.5 mi Outstanding Last distance published
- E-ACT Royton and Crompton Academy 1.8 mi Not judged Last distance published
- The Brian Clarke Church of England Academy 2.2 mi Not judged Last distance published
- E-ACT the Oldham Academy North 2.3 mi Improved significantly Last distance published
- The Hathershaw College 2.6 mi No Ofsted grade
- The Crompton House Church of England Academy 2.6 mi School remains Good
- Saddleworth School 2.8 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published