Sandymoor Ormiston Academy
Secondary · Free schools · Ages 11–18 · Runcorn, Halton
Last distance offered · Year 7 2026
2.66 miles
Published by Halton Borough Council · offers on 2 March 2026
2022–2025 trend 🔒
Nearby schools' earlier years 🔒
Sandymoor Ormiston Academy is a secondary school in Runcorn, Halton for ages 11–18 (free schools). Its latest Ofsted outcome is Good, from the inspection on 17 April 2024. Halton has published a last distance offered for this school for Year 7 2022 to 2026 entry.
Sandymoor Ormiston 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 | 2.66 mi |
| 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
- The last child offered a Year 7 place in 2026 lived 2.66 miles away, further than in 2025 or 2022; the 2026 figure was the longest of the 5 years.
- 43% got grade 5 or above in GCSE English and maths in 2024/25 (England 45%), 2nd highest of 7 schools: this one and the 6 nearest secondary schools in Halton.
- For Year 7 in 2026 there were 158 first-choice applications for 148 offers; 147 offers went to first-choice families and 11 first-choice families (7%) were not offered a place.
- Free school meal eligibility stands at 29.3% of pupils, against a middle figure of 51.6% across the 6 nearest secondary schools in Halton.
Worked out by Catchmently from the published figures on this page and those for other Halton schools. Distances are as published; how they were measured differs between admission authorities.
Key facts
- Address
- Sandymoor Ormiston Academy, Wharford Lane, Runcorn, WA7 1QU
- Type
- Free schools
- Phase
- Secondary
- Ages
- 11–18
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Council
- Halton
- Pupils on roll
- 631 January 2026 school census
- Free school meals
- 29.3% of pupils eligible
- Pupils per teacher
- 16.5
Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026
Ofsted
Good Inspected 17 April 2024
Strengths
- “The school has high expectations of what pupils can achieve.”
- “Pupils are supported to think deeply about what they are learning.”
- “Most pupils gain secure knowledge in the subjects that they study.”
To improve
- “However, from time to time, some pupils do not complete work that is well matched to the ambition of the curriculum.”
- “This affects the progress that some pupils make through subject curriculums.”
- “However, this practice is mixed.”
Safeguarding: Effective
Quoted from the Ofsted report published 20 May 2024 (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) | 43% | 45% |
| Attainment 8 score (2024/25) | 44.4 | 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: 158 first-preference applications, 148 offers in total, 147 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 Halton.
- Ormiston Bolingbroke Academy 1.8 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- Blessed Carlo Acutis Catholic and Church of England Academy 2.6 mi Not judged Last distance published
- The Heath School 3.2 mi Not judged Last distance published
- Wade Deacon High School 4.0 mi Outstanding Last distance published
- Saints Peter and Paul Catholic High School 4.1 mi School remains Good Last distance published
- Ormiston Chadwick Academy 4.7 mi Good Last distance published