St Anne's Church of England Academy

About St Anne's Church of England Academy

St Anne's Church of England Academy in Rochdale is a secondary school that is clearly in demand. For the 2025/26 admissions round, the school received 455 applications for 173 places, an oversubscription ratio of 2.63, with 152 of those offers going to first-preference families out of 166 who put it top. That level of competition makes sense when you look at the intake profile: the school has 786 pupils against a capacity of 900, so there is some headroom, but the 48.9% of students eligible for free school meals is significantly above the national average, reflecting the school's role in a diverse and economically mixed community. Under headteacher Mr Chris Heyes, St Anne's is a Church of England secondary for ages 11 to 16, and its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2024 judged it Good across all categories — a notable improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating.

Academically, the picture is mixed but improving. The school's Progress 8 score of -0.34 is below the national average, and places it 7th out of 11 schools in Rochdale, just behind top local peers like Hollingworth Academy (-0.02) and Matthew Moss High School (-0.03). However, it is worth noting that the local authority average Progress 8 is -0.25, so St Anne's is not far off the Rochdale norm. Attainment 8 sits at 44.3, and 58.8% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, though the figure drops to 36.5% at grade 5 or above. The EBacc entry rate is low at 18.2%, and the EBacc average point score is 3.56. In its most recent inspection, Ofsted noted that behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management are all Good, and the school has moved from Requires Improvement to Good overall.

Beyond the classroom, St Anne's offers a solid range of facilities including a swimming pool, theatre, astro turf, science labs, and a chapel. There are plenty of clubs — from Model UN and DofE to coding and eco club — and sports include football, rugby, hockey, and gymnastics. The school has a broad SEND offer, covering specific learning difficulties, autism, speech and language needs, and physical disabilities. For families considering St Anne's, the key takeaway is a school that is popular locally, has improved its Ofsted rating, and serves a high-needs community well, but where academic outcomes still lag behind the strongest Rochdale secondaries. It suits families who value a Church of England ethos, a wide range of extracurriculars, and a school that is actively working to raise attainment.

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