Rochdale Sixth Form College
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Ofsted Rating
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About Rochdale Sixth Form College
Rochdale Sixth Form College is a large state-funded 16-19 mixed sixth form in the Rochdale local authority area, with a school capacity of 1,480 places. The college is led by headteacher Karl Smith and has no religious character. While the data does not include a specific free school meals percentage for the college, the local authority context shows a Progress 8 average of -0.25, which is below the national average, suggesting the area has a higher-than-average proportion of disadvantaged pupils. The college is oversubscribed, with 870 pupils on roll, indicating strong demand from local families. This is a significant number given the capacity, and it suggests the college is a popular choice for post-16 education in the region. The college is not a boarding school and does not offer nursery provision, focusing entirely on sixth-form study.
In its most recent A-level results for the 2023/24 academic year, Rochdale Sixth Form College achieved a points per entry of 35.99, which equates to a grade of B-. The best three A-levels averaged 37.02 points, also a B-. The college's value-added score of 0.41 is well above average, with a confidence interval ranging from 0.37 to 0.45, meaning students make significantly more progress than similar students nationally. The proportion of students achieving AAB or higher in at least two facilitating subjects was 14.6%. The college's progress banding is rated as well above average, which is a strong indicator of academic effectiveness. For context, the local authority average Progress 8 score is -0.25, so the college's value-added performance is notably stronger than the typical school in Rochdale.
The college offers a wide range of facilities including science labs, a dining hall, music rooms, tennis courts, a sports hall, a sixth form centre, and a chapel. Sports on offer include cricket, hockey, rugby, netball, gymnastics, and badminton, while extracurricular clubs cover coding, debate, Young Enterprise, art club, Duke of Edinburgh, film club, newspaper, choir, orchestra, and Model UN. This breadth suggests the college caters to both academic and personal development interests. The college is well-suited to families in Rochdale and the surrounding area who want a dedicated sixth-form environment with strong academic outcomes and a wide choice of enrichment activities. The oversubscription indicates it is a competitive choice, so early application is advisable. The college does not have an official sixth form for younger students, as it is a standalone 16-19 institution.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 16 to 19 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | College Road, Rochdale, Rochdale, OL12 6HY |
| Headteacher | Karl Smith |
| Local Authority | Rochdale |
| School Capacity | 1,480 |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
GCSE Results
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
37.6
'22/23
34.7
'23/24
36.0
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where school leavers go
2022/2365%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 916 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
23%
Russell Group
26%
Top-third HE
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- University (HE)65%
- Employment16%
- Not sustained9%
- Apprenticeship6%
- Further education1%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Psychology434
- Biology203
- Chemistry201
- Mathematics201
- Sociology160
- Business Studies:Single154
- Law132
- Economics83
- Physical Education / Sports Studies76
- English Literature75
- History73
- Physics64
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
Facilities
7Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
16Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
16
Total schools
12
Oversubscribed
12
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Contact Information
College Road, Rochdale
Rochdale, OL12 6HY
College Road, Rochdale
Rochdale, OL12 6HY
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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