SchoolScoresEdgar Wood Academy
Free school · Secondary, ages 11 to 16 · Mixed
Part of ALTUS EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP
Heywood Old Road, Heywood, OL10 2QN
0161 676 9620 · School website · Map and directions
Ofsted inspection
Ofsted report card from the inspection that started on 2 June 2026 , published 1 July 2026.
In short: 6 expected, and safeguarding met.
Since November 2025 Ofsted grades each area on a five-point scale instead of giving one overall grade. How report cards work.
| Area | Grade |
|---|---|
| SafeguardingWhether pupils are kept safe. Met or not met. | Met |
| InclusionHow well the school supports disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs. | Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects. |
| Curriculum and teachingWhat pupils are taught and how well they are taught it. | Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects. |
| AchievementHow well pupils learn and the results they get. | Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects. |
| Attendance and behaviourWhether pupils come to school and how they behave. | Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects. |
| Personal development and wellbeingPupils' wider development, character and wellbeing. | Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects. |
| Leadership and governanceHow well leaders and governors run the school. | Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects. |
Read the full Ofsted reports for this school
Source: Ofsted state-funded schools inspection data.
What parents say
56 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 3 September 2024 and 1 September 2025.
Rochdale comparisons use the 7 of its 14 state secondary schools with comparable results. The other 7 have no published Parent View results (Ofsted only publishes a survey once at least 10 parents answer) or used Ofsted's newer questions, which we don't compare with the older ones.
| Statement | This school | Rochdale | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| My child is happy at this school 5th highest of 7 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in Rochdale. Higher than 8% of 1,763 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 57% | 69% | 89% |
| My child feels safe at this school 6th highest of 7 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in Rochdale. Higher than 4% of 1,763 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 50% | 72% | 90% |
| The school makes sure pupils are well behaved 7th highest of 7 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in Rochdale. Higher than 4% of 1,763 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 34% | 63% | 84% |
| Bullying was dealt with quickly and effectivelyOf 28 parents whose child had been bullied Joint 5th highest of 6 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in Rochdale. Higher than 2% of 1,665 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 18% | 37% | 51% |
| Concerns were dealt with properlyOf 46 parents who had raised a concern 7th highest of 7 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in Rochdale. Higher than 2% of 1,736 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 24% | 52% | 76% |
| My child with SEND gets the support they needOf 18 parents of children with SEND 3rd highest of 3 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in Rochdale. Higher than 6% of 789 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 28% | 61% | 68% |
| I would recommend this school to another parent 6th highest of 7 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in Rochdale. Higher than 4% of 1,763 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 32%said yes | 60% | 84% |
Parents choose whether to take part, so these answers may not represent all families (Ofsted puts the response rate at 9%). Figures are the share who agree or strongly agree. England figures are all parents answering the same questions over the same period, for state-funded schools. Rochdale figures pool parents at the Rochdale schools compared, from each school's latest survey, so survey dates differ between schools. The scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) agreement, and the dot marks this school among state schools of the same phase that used the same survey questions. The third it falls in is coloured: green for the top third, amber the middle, red the bottom. This survey used Ofsted's previous Parent View questions, which changed in November 2025. Source: Ofsted Parent View management information.
Results
No test or exam results have been published for this school yet.
Admissions
Apply through the council where you live, even if the school is in a different council area. This school is in Rochdale. The national closing date for secondary applications is 31 October, and offers are sent on 1 March.
How hard is it to get in?
For the September 2026 intake there were fewer first-choice applications than places.
| Places offered | 76 |
|---|---|
| Families who put it first | 52 |
| Of those, offered a place | 52 (100%) |
| Families who listed it at all | 198 |
First-choice applications per place: 2024: 1.1 · 2025: 0.7 · 2026: 0.7
This isn't your chance of getting a place. That depends on the school's admissions rules (for example siblings, distance or faith) and where you live. Source: DfE applications and offers, September 2026 intake.
Pupils, staff and SEND
| Pupils | This school | Rochdale | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years 2nd highest of 3 state secondary schools in Heywood. Higher than 84% of 3,448 state secondary schools in England. | 45.5% | 39.2%* | 28.9% |
| With an education, health and care plan 2nd highest of 3 state secondary schools in Heywood. Higher than 68% of 3,448 state secondary schools in England. | 3.8% | 3.7%* | 3.1% |
| Receiving special educational needs support 2nd highest of 3 state secondary schools in Heywood. Higher than 50% of 3,448 state secondary schools in England. | 13.8% | 14.9%* | 13.4% |
| English as an additional language 1st highest of 3 state secondary schools in Heywood. Higher than 56% of 3,448 state secondary schools in England. | 14.4% | 25.7%* | 19.2% |
| Overall absence (sessions missed) 3rd lowest of 3 state secondary schools in Heywood. Lower than 28% of 3,411 state secondary schools in England. | 9.7% | 9.0%* | 8.4% |
| Persistently absent (missed 10% or more) 3rd lowest of 3 state secondary schools in Heywood. Lower than 17% of 3,411 state secondary schools in England. | 30.7% | 26.1%* | 23.4% |
| Suspensions per 100 pupils 3rd lowest of 3 state secondary schools in Heywood. Lower than 6% of 3,445 state secondary schools in England. | 67.8 | 31.4 | 21.2 |
| Pupils suspended at least once 3rd lowest of 3 state secondary schools in Heywood. Lower than 6% of 3,445 state secondary schools in England. | 18.2% | 11.1% | 7.3% |
| Pupils permanently excluded8 pupils | 1.26% | 0.58% | 0.23% |
| Pupils per teacher 3rd highest of 3 state secondary schools in Heywood. Higher than 6% of 3,442 state secondary schools in England. | 13.8 | 16.1 | 16.7 |
| Pupils per adult (teachers and support staff) 3rd highest of 3 state secondary schools in Heywood. Higher than 10% of 3,445 state secondary schools in England. | 9.7 | 10.9 | 11.8 |
| Teachers who left during the year 1st highest of 3 state secondary schools in Heywood. Higher than 34% of 3,430 state secondary schools in England. | 10.8% | 14.1%* | 14.2%* |
Comparisons are with secondary schools. Scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) figures. For absence and suspensions lower is better, so their scales run green to red; blue scales describe the school's pupils and staff and aren't good or bad. * Calculated by SchoolScores from the council's or England's schools, weighted by pupils (or teachers, for turnover); other figures are published by DfE. Sources: DfE school census 2024/25; DfE pupil absence 2024/25; DfE suspensions and permanent exclusions 2024/25; DfE school workforce census 2025/26; DfE teacher turnover 2024/25.
Nearby secondary schools
- St Anne's CofE Academy 0.9 miles · Ofsted: Good (2024) · 29% grade 5+ English and maths
- Elizabeth House School 1.1 miles · Independent · Ofsted: Report card 2026: 2 expected, 4 needs attention
- Newhouse Academy 1.4 miles · Ofsted: Requires improvement (2023) · 30% grade 5+ English and maths
- Cardinal Langley Roman Catholic High School 1.6 miles · Ofsted: Good (2017), confirmed 2022 · 32% grade 5+ English and maths
- Holy Family Roman Catholic and Church of England College 1.7 miles · Ofsted: Report card 2026: 6 expected · 44% grade 5+ English and maths
- Our Lady's RC High School 1.8 miles · Ofsted: Report card 2025: 6 strong · 46% grade 5+ English and maths
- Unsworth Academy 2.0 miles · Ofsted: Good (2019), improved significantly 2025 · 38% grade 5+ English and maths
- Parrenthorn High School 2.0 miles · Ofsted: Good (2023, before conversion) · 40% grade 5+ English and maths
- Dixons Middleton Academy 2.0 miles · Ofsted: Good (2019), confirmed with concerns 2024 · 34% grade 5+ English and maths
- Co-op Academy Manchester 2.3 miles · Ofsted: Good (2014), confirmed 2023 · 37% grade 5+ English and maths
Straight-line distance. Distance isn't the same as a catchment area.
Questions parents ask
What is Edgar Wood Academy's Ofsted rating?
Edgar Wood Academy was inspected under Ofsted's report card format in 2 June 2026. Report cards grade each area on a five-point scale instead of giving one overall grade. Its grades were 6 expected, and safeguarding was met.
Would parents recommend Edgar Wood Academy?
32% of the 56 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 3 September 2024 and 1 September 2025 said they would recommend Edgar Wood Academy to another parent. Parents choose whether to respond, so this may not represent all families.
Is Edgar Wood Academy oversubscribed?
For the September 2026 intake, 52 families put Edgar Wood Academy as their first choice for 76 places: fewer first-choice applications than places. 52 of those families were offered a place. Whether you get a place depends on the school's admissions rules and where you live.
Sources
- School details: Get Information about Schools (DfE), 26 September 2026. URN 148596.
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, data to 31 August 2026.
- Parent views: Ofsted Parent View, 3 September 2024 to 1 September 2025.
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Page updated 26 September 2026.