Classpot

Wardle Academy

Rochdale, OL12 9RDSecondaryAges 11–16MixedState
Ofsted Rating
Good
Oct 2022
Progress 8
-0.49
Below average
−20+2
Competition
1.1×
Oversubscribed
260 1st-choice / 230 places
Ranking
#2,591
of 3,141 nationally

About Wardle Academy

Wardle Academy is a large mixed secondary school in Rochdale, serving 1,364 pupils aged 11 to 16. It sits within a local authority where no school currently holds an Outstanding Ofsted rating, and its Progress 8 score of -0.49 places it 10th out of 11 schools in the borough on that metric. That puts it behind the top-performing local peers: Hollingworth Academy (Progress 8 score of -0.02), Matthew Moss High School (-0.03), and Falinge Park High School (-0.03). Nationally, Wardle ranks in the bottom half of schools, sitting at the 82nd percentile among 3,141 secondaries. The school is led by headteacher James Glennie and has no religious character. It is significantly oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 academic year, 260 families put it as their first preference, and the school received 522 total applications for 230 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.27. Despite its below-average Progress 8 score, the level of demand suggests it remains a popular choice locally.

Key Details

School TypeSecondary (State)
Age Range11 to 16 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterNone
AddressBirch Road, Rochdale, Rochdale, OL12 9RD
HeadteacherJames Glennie
Local AuthorityRochdale
Number of Pupils1,364
Free School Meals (FSM)28.9%
School Capacity1,364 / 1,200 (114% full)

The full report on this school

The inspection in plain English, admissions context, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.

  • Ofsted inspection in plain English
    Strengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
  • Parent View survey results
    What parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
  • Where Ofsted and parents disagree
    Gaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
  • Admissions & catchment
    Admission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
  • Nearby schools compared
    Backup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
  • Attendance & behaviour data
    Persistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
See an example
One-off paymentNo subscriptionStripe checkout

Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

20 Oct 2022
View Report
Overall Effectiveness
Good
Leadership & Management
Good

Latest monitoring visit (20 Oct 2022): School remains Good

Source: Ofsted, 17 Jan 2018. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

6
Swimming PoolTennis CourtsSixth Form CentreSports HallScience LabsLibrary

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

15

Sports

RowingRugbyGymnasticsBadmintonRoundersCricketAthleticsBasketball

Clubs & Activities

Film ClubOrchestraModel United NationsCodingDramaDuke of EdinburghBook Club

Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.

SEND Support

AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguageHearingVisionPhysicalLearning DifficultyOther

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

School day

Verified

Teaching hours

08:30 – 15:00

Breakfast club

08:00-08:30

Source: wardleacademy.co.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.

Was this page helpful?

Frequently Asked Questions About Wardle Academy

Wardle Academy has been rated "Good" by Ofsted. This means the school provides a good standard of education and effectively supports all pupils to succeed.