Holy Family Roman Catholic and Church of England College

About Holy Family Roman Catholic and Church of England College

Holy Family Roman Catholic and Church of England College sits in the middle of the Rochdale secondary school pack, but its headline Progress 8 score of -0.32 is slightly below the local authority average of -0.25. That places it sixth out of 11 schools in the borough, and nationally it falls into the bottom 50 per cent of all schools on this measure. The gap is modest, though, and the school’s overall Attainment 8 score of 46.8 suggests pupils are leaving with a decent set of GCSE results. What really stands out is the maths Progress 8 score of +0.29, which is comfortably above both the school’s own English and EBacc scores and the LA average. That means pupils here make stronger progress in maths than in other subjects, and it’s a clear strength worth noting for any parent whose child leans towards numeracy.

On the basics measure, 52.3 per cent of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in both English and maths, which is a solid benchmark. The EBacc entry rate is relatively low at 19.5 per cent, and only 6.7 per cent of pupils entered the full EBacc and achieved a grade 5 or above. That suggests the school doesn’t push the full suite of academic subjects as hard as some others, and the Progress 8 banding is officially rated ‘Below average’. In its most recent graded inspection in 2013, Ofsted rated the school Good overall, with leadership and management also judged Good. An ungraded inspection in 2022 confirmed the school remains Good, so standards have held steady. The previous inspection in 2009 had rated it Outstanding, so there has been a step down, but the current rating is still a solid one.

The school is heavily oversubscribed: for 143 places in 2025/26, it received 411 applications, with 182 first-preference applications and 133 first-preference offers. That’s a ratio of nearly three applicants per place, so families clearly want to be here. Facilities are strong for a state secondary, including a swimming pool, theatre, chapel, and a full set of science labs and art studios. The SEND provision is comprehensive, covering everything from dyslexia and autism to physical disabilities and multi-sensory impairment. There’s no sixth form, so pupils will need to move on after Year 11, but the school offers a wide range of clubs and sports, from rowing and martial arts to Model UN and coding. It’s a good fit for families who value a broad, active school day and a faith-based environment, especially if their child has a particular strength in maths.

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