Denton Community Academy

About Denton Community Academy

Denton Community Academy’s most recent Ofsted inspection, published in March 2023, rated the school Inadequate across every category — overall effectiveness, quality of education, personal development, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management. This marks a sharp decline from its previous Good rating in 2015. The single most telling exam metric is the school’s Progress 8 score of -0.33, which means pupils achieved roughly a third of a grade less per subject than the national average. That places Denton in the ‘Below average’ banding nationally, and 10th out of 16 secondary schools in Tameside. For context, the local authority average Progress 8 score is -0.19, so the school is performing notably below its peers in the same borough. The nearest Outstanding-rated school, Laurus Ryecroft, is 3.9 km away and posts a Progress 8 score of +0.73 — a stark contrast.

Looking deeper at the 2023/24 exam results, the school’s Attainment 8 score sits at 38.5, and only 44.1% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths (the basics 9-5 measure). The EBacc entry rate is very low at 7.9%, with just 6.3% of pupils achieving the full EBacc at grade 5 or above. The EBacc average point score is 3.33. Breaking down Progress 8 by subject area, English and maths are the strongest, with scores of +0.09 and +0.04 respectively — essentially in line with the national average. But the open element (other EBacc and non-EBacc subjects) is significantly weaker at -0.81, and the EBacc element itself is -0.42. This suggests the school’s curriculum breadth is a particular challenge, and that pupils are not making the same progress in humanities and languages as they are in core subjects.

On the practical side, Denton Community Academy is a large 11-16 mixed secondary with 1,281 pupils, led by headteacher Donald Cumming. The school has a strong range of facilities including a swimming pool, theatre, astro turf, tennis courts, music rooms, and a chapel — unusual for a state school. Sports offered include netball, rugby, martial arts, and dance, while clubs range from Eco Club and Gardening to Debate and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. There is no sixth form, so pupils must move on after Year 11. The school is oversubscribed? The data doesn’t say, but given its Inadequate rating and below-average Progress 8, it may be a school that families choose for its facilities and location rather than academic outcomes. It would suit a family who values extracurricular breadth and is prepared to supplement academic support at home or through tutoring.

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