Schools by area › Rochdale › Wardle Academy
Wardle Academy
Secondary · Mixed · Ages 11–16 · Academy
Birch Road, Wardle, Rochdale OL12 9RD · wardleacademy.co.uk · 01706 373911
On the mapSearch near OL12 9RD
Overview
- Ofsted
- Remains Good
- Ungraded inspection · Oct 2022
- GCSEs, 2024/25
- 44.1
- average Attainment 8 score. Rochdale 40.6, England 46
- Demand for places
- 1.0
- first choices for each place · Year 7, September 2026
- Pupils
- 1,366
- 166 over 1,200 places · 114%
- Local authority
- Rochdale
- Sixth form
- No
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Free school meals
- 30.3%
- First language not English
- 10.5%
- School census 2025/26
- Trust
- Watergrove Trust
The official school record (Department for Education)
Admissions
For Year 7 in September 2026, 259 families put the school first and 264 places were offered; 97% of those families were offered a place there. Admission depends on the school’s own rules.
First choices against places
| Year 7 | Places | First choices | Per place | % offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026Sept 2026 | 264 | 259 | 1 | 97% |
| September 2025Sept 2025 | 230 | 260 | 1.1▲ | 83% |
| September 2024Sept 2024 | 256 | 284 | 1.1▲ | 81% |
| September 2023Sept 2023 | 289 | 287 | 1 | 93% |
| September 2022Sept 2022 | 289 | 302 | 1▲ | 92% |
Results
In 2024/25 the average Attainment 8 score at GCSE was 44.1, and 39.1% of pupils got grade 5 or above in English and maths. Across Rochdale it was 40.6, and across England 46.
GCSE results
Attainment 8
| 2024/25 | Trend | School | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| ●44.1 | 46.0 | ||
| ▼39.1% | 45.4% | ||
| ▼62.7% | 64.8% | ||
| ▼38.2% | 40.5% | ||
| ▼3.87 | 4.09 |
Where Year 11 leavers went
| Left in 2023/24 | Since 2021/22 | |
|---|---|---|
| Sixth form college | 35.6 | −1.2 |
| Further education | 50.2 | +10.7 |
| Other education | 0.4 | 0 |
| Apprenticeship | 2 | −4.1 |
| Employment | 3.2 | −0.7 |
| Not in a lasting destination | 6.3 | −2.5 |
| Activity not captured | 2.4 | −1.1 |
Ofsted
At an ungraded inspection on 20 October 2022, Ofsted’s outcome for Wardle Academy was: School remains Good.
- Outcome
- Remains Good
- Inspected
- 19 Oct 2022
- Ungraded inspection
Safeguarding effectiveInspection reports
Previously: Good, graded inspection, Dec 2017
Earlier inspections
Before September 2019
Dec 2017Good
Outcomes for pupils Good Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good Leadership and management Good Safeguarding Effective Feb 2016Requires improvement
Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Safeguarding Effective
What parents said
72% of the parents who answered Ofsted’s Parent View survey would recommend the school (92 replies, to 4 September 2023).
- Recommend
- 72%
- Replies
- 92
- 7% · 4 Sept 2023
based on the 83% who raised concerns
based on the 34% who had a child bullied
based on 14 parents (15%) with SEND