Schools in Rochdale

81 schools with published admissions figures

The newest figures for each school. "1st prefs per place" is how many families put the school first, for each place it gave out. It measures demand, not whether a child would get a place. A dash means the figure is not available.

How the 2026 round went in Rochdale

Primary

Offered their first choice 89.2%
Of families applying for a primary place for September 2026. Against 89.0% in 2016.
Offered one of their three 97.3%
Families offered any of the schools they named.
Families who applied 2,831
Applications received for a primary place. A family naming three schools counts once.

For September 2026, 89.2% of families applying for a primary place here were offered their first choice, and 97.3% were offered one of the three schools they named.

That is much the same as in 2016, when it was 89.0%.

The council's primary schools between them had 3,242 places for 2,831 applications. That is a total for the whole council and says nothing about any one school in it.

Secondary

Offered their first choice 86.8%
Of families applying for a secondary place for September 2026. Against 92.6% in 2016.
Offered one of their three 96.5%
Families offered any of the schools they named.
Families who applied 2,860
Applications received for a secondary place. A family naming three schools counts once.

For September 2026, 86.8% of families applying for a secondary place here were offered their first choice, and 96.5% were offered one of the three schools they named.

That is 5.8 points lower than in 2016, when it was 92.6%.

The council's secondary schools between them had 3,030 places for 2,860 applications. That is a total for the whole council and says nothing about any one school in it.

Source: Department for Education, applications and offers. The same round across England.

If a family is refused a place

In 2026, families in Rochdale lodged 253 appeals about a school place.

187 of them were heard by a panel and 18 succeeded, which is about 10 in every 100 heard.

The other 66 did not reach a panel. Most appeals that do not are withdrawn because a place comes up first.

This is a record of decisions already made. A panel hears one case at a time and decides it on what that family sets out, so these figures do not indicate what would happen in any particular appeal.

Source: Department for Education, admission appeals in England, reporting year 2026. Counts every school in this council area. The share that succeeded is taken over appeals heard by a panel, not over appeals lodged.

Secondary

School	1st prefs per place	Demand since	Latest Ofsted
Cardinal Langley Roman Catholic High School Manchester	1.37	-	School remains Good Ofsted ungraded inspection
Dixons Middleton Academy Manchester	0.73	-	School remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next Ofsted ungraded inspection
Edgar Wood Academy Heywood	0.68	-	Expected standard Ofsted report card (current framework)
Falinge Park High School Rochdale	0.98	-	School remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next Ofsted ungraded inspection
Hollingworth Academy Rochdale	1.06	-	Good Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)
Holy Family Roman Catholic and Church of England College Heywood	1.27	-	Expected standard Ofsted report card (current framework)
Kingsway Park High School Rochdale	0.90	-	Some aspects not as strong Ofsted ungraded inspection
Matthew Moss High School Rochdale	1.00	-	School remains Good Ofsted ungraded inspection
Newhouse Academy Heywood	0.63	-	Requires improvement Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)
Oulder Hill Leadership Academy Rochdale	0.83	-	Not judged Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)
St Anne's Church of England Academy Manchester	1.16	-	Good Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)
St Cuthbert's Roman Catholic High School, a Voluntary Academy Rochdale	0.81	-	Requires improvement Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)
Wardle Academy Rochdale	0.98	-	School remains Good Ofsted ungraded inspection

Elsewhere

Most sought-after schools in Rochdale by first preferences per place
Schools in BL9 (20)
Schools in M24 (18)
Schools in OL10 (11)
Schools in OL11 (15)
Schools in OL12 (21)
Schools in OL15 (5)
Schools in OL16 (15)
What data we hold