Oulder Hill Leadership Academy

About Oulder Hill Leadership Academy

Oulder Hill Leadership Academy has been rated Good across the board in its most recent Ofsted inspection, a significant turnaround from its previous Inadequate rating. The school’s Progress 8 score of -0.11 is the most telling academic metric here: it means that, on average, pupils achieve slightly below the national expected level of progress across eight subjects. However, that figure is notably better than the Rochdale local authority average of -0.25, placing the school fourth out of 11 secondary schools in the borough. In the North West region it ranks 206th out of 445 schools, and nationally it sits in the 57th percentile. The school’s Attainment 8 score of 42.9 and the fact that 65.4% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths (the basics measure) give a solid baseline picture of where students finish their GCSEs.

Digging deeper into the exam data, the school’s Progress 8 banding is classed as Average, which is a reassuring label for parents. The strongest subject progress is in maths, where the score is 0.01, essentially in line with national expectations, while English sits at exactly zero. The EBacc entry rate is high at 75.3%, though only 17.9% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in the full EBacc combination, and just 9.1% managed a grade 5 or above. The EBacc average point score is 3.88. Compared with its previous inspection, the school has clearly improved its leadership and management, which were rated Inadequate in 2020 but are now Good. The Ofsted report notes that behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and quality of education are all Good, and the school was not judged on overall effectiveness in its latest inspection.

The school is oversubscribed, with 469 applications for 225 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, and 123 first-preference offers made. It serves a community where 35.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average. Facilities include a swimming pool, theatre, sports hall, and music rooms, and the school offers a range of clubs from Debate to DofE and an Eco Club. SEND provisions cover a wide spectrum, including Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Speech, Language & Communication needs, and Social, Emotional & Mental Health support. Parent View responses from 161 parents show 70% would recommend the school, with strong agreement that children are happy (75% agree or strongly agree) and feel safe (82%). This is a school that has made a clear improvement journey and suits families looking for a large, inclusive secondary with good behaviour and a broad curriculum, though academic outcomes are slightly below the national average.

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