Oasis Academy Limeside

About Oasis Academy Limeside

Oasis Academy Limeside is a state primary school in Oldham that received 48 applications for its 32 Reception places in the 2025/26 admissions round, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.5. Of those 48 applicants, 28 put the school as their first preference and all 28 were offered a place. This level of demand suggests a solid local reputation, though the school does not publish a parent satisfaction survey or a 'would recommend' percentage to back that up. The school is larger than many primaries, with 455 pupils on roll against a capacity of 459, and it offers nursery provision for children from age two. A high proportion of pupils — 59.1 per cent — are eligible for free school meals, which is well above the national average and reflects the socio-economic context of the catchment area.

Academically, the picture is mixed. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2024, the school was rated Requires Improvement overall, a significant drop from its previous Outstanding rating in 2013. Leadership and management, quality of education, and early years provision were all judged to require improvement, while behaviour and attitudes and personal development were rated Good. At Key Stage 2 in 2023/24, 52 per cent of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined — below the Oldham local authority average of 58 per cent. Only 3 per cent reached the higher standard in all three subjects. Reading and writing scores were closer to the national average, with 66 per cent reaching the expected standard in reading and 67 per cent in writing, but maths was weaker at 57 per cent. The school ranks 44th out of 67 primaries in Oldham on the combined measure, placing it in the bottom half locally.

The school has a strong set of facilities for a primary, including a sports hall, forest school area, ICT suite, sensory room, art studios and a chapel. Sports on offer include rounders, athletics, tennis, cricket and dance, while clubs range from coding and gardening to film club, choir, eco club and drama. SEND provision is broad, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing impairment and autistic spectrum disorder. This makes it a potentially good fit for families whose children need additional support in a mainstream setting. The nearest Outstanding-rated primary is Corpus Christi RC Primary School, 1.4 km away, which may be worth a look for families weighing up options. Oasis Academy Limeside is a school in transition, with clear areas for improvement but also genuine strengths in pastoral care and enrichment.

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