Best Secondary Schools in Oldham 2026

Ranked by Ofsted rating, exam results, attendance, and class sizes. 14 schools across Oldham. Updated with 2025–26 data.

How many schools?
14
Open secondary schools in Oldham
Closed schools excluded
Inspection picture
8 Good or better
of 13 with a historic Ofsted grade
Historic single-word grades · pre-Nov-2025
How is this list ordered?
SNM score
The Blue Coat CofE School currently leads
Methodology

Oldham has 14 open secondary schools. Of the 13 with a published Ofsted inspection, 1 (8%) held a historic grade of Outstanding and 62% held Good or Outstanding — these are the last single-word grades from before Ofsted retired them on 10 November 2025 (how we treat Ofsted data). On our composite Schools Near Me score, The Blue Coat CofE School currently leads the local rankings. Closed schools are excluded from every list on this page.

Use the ranked table below to compare schools side by side, then open any school for the full picture. Application deadlines in Oldham follow the national calendar: 31 October for Year 7 secondary entry and 15 January for Reception primary entry, with offers on 1 March and 16 April respectively.

All schools Primary Secondary
Rank School Ofsted (historic) SNM Score Profile
1. The Blue Coat CofE School
Secondary
 Outstanding 86 View school
2. E-ACT the Oldham Academy North
Secondary
 Good 55 View school
3. Oasis Academy Oldham
Secondary
 Good 54 View school
4. Co-op Academy Failsworth
Secondary
 Good 53 View school
5. The Crompton House Church of England Academy
Secondary
 Good 51 View school
6. Oasis Academy Leesbrook
Secondary
 Good 46 View school
7. North Chadderton School
Secondary
 Requires Improvement 40 View school
8. The Hathershaw College
Secondary
 Good 38 View school
9. E-ACT Royton and Crompton Academy
Secondary
 Requires Improvement 32 View school
10. Waterhead Academy
Secondary
 Inadequate 18 View school

Ranked by the Schools Near Me score. Ofsted grades shown are each school's last single-word grade from before 10 November 2025, when Ofsted retired single-word overall judgements — they are historic and not comparable to the new report cards. How we use Ofsted data. Closed schools are excluded.

Related lists for Oldham

Best primary schools in OldhamTop-ranked Reception–Year 6 Best secondary schools in OldhamTop-ranked Year 7 onwards All schools in OldhamPrimary & secondary combined Primary schools in OldhamReception–Year 6 only How the Schools Near Me score worksOur ranking methodology, explained

Nearby areas

Schools in TamesideCompare neighbouring authoritySchools in RochdaleCompare neighbouring authoritySchools in ManchesterCompare neighbouring authoritySchools in BuryCompare neighbouring authority

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Frequently asked questions

How many secondary schools are there in Oldham?
There are 14 open secondary schools in Oldham (closed schools are excluded). 1 of the 13 with a published inspection held a historic Ofsted grade of Outstanding (the last single-word grade before single-word grades were retired on 10 November 2025).
What are the best-rated secondary schools in Oldham?
On our Schools Near Me score, the top-ranked secondary school in Oldham is The Blue Coat CofE School. The full ranked table above lists the top 10 schools with their score and last historic Ofsted grade. We never list closed schools.
How is the Schools Near Me score calculated?
The Schools Near Me score is a 0–100 composite combining the school's last historic Ofsted grade, published exam and assessment results, attendance and pupil–teacher ratio. It is not an Ofsted rating. Full methodology: https://schoolsnearme.ai/methodology#score
Are Ofsted single-word grades still current in Oldham?
No. Ofsted retired single-word overall grades (Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement, Inadequate) on 10 November 2025 and replaced them with report cards. Any single-word grade shown on this page is the school's last historic grade from before that date and is not comparable to the new report cards. See https://schoolsnearme.ai/methodology#ofsted
How do I apply for a school place in Oldham?
Primary and secondary applications in Oldham are coordinated by the local authority on the national timetable: apply by 31 October for Year 7 secondary entry and by 15 January for Reception primary entry, with offers on 1 March and 16 April respectively. Check the Oldham council website for local forms and any in-year rules.

Data sourced from Ofsted, Department for Education, and ISI. School rankings reflect the Schools Near Me composite score combining Ofsted ratings, exam results, attendance, and pupil-teacher ratios. Last updated April 2026.