The Rudheath Senior Academy

The Rudheath Senior Academy continues to perform well as a good school, demonstrating a commitment to providing a supportive and inclusive environment for its students. With a strong focus on a comprehensive curriculum and the well-being of its pupils, the school fosters a sense of belonging and respect among its diverse student body. Leaders have worked diligently to enhance the quality of education, especially following recent changes in leadership, and most students report feeling happy and safe while attending school.

Strengths

• Pupils feel happy and safe at school.
• Leaders have high expectations for all pupils, including those with SEND.
• The school offers an ambitious curriculum that covers a wide range of subjects.
• Lessons are well-organized with clear explanations from teachers.
• Strong support systems are in place for pupils needing help with behavior and academics.
• The school prioritizes reading and provides careful selections of literature.
• Comprehensive personal, social, and health education programme.
• Strong safeguarding culture with effective training for staff.

Areas for Improvement

• Some older pupils have gaps in knowledge due to recent curriculum changes.
• Support for students struggling with phonics needs improvement.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at The Rudheath Senior Academy attended 87.7% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 34.0% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 17.6% of pupils at The Rudheath Senior Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 The Rudheath Senior Academy had 17.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 20.2% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 18.6% of pupils at The Rudheath Senior Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 5.4% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 The Rudheath Senior Academy received £8,464 and spent £7,942 for each of its 591 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £173,000 (£292 per pupil).

Across all 12 schools of North West Academies Trust Limited, income was £7,268 and spending £7,172 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Northwich · Cheshire West and Chester local authority: places and applications

The Rudheath Senior Academy is part of North West Academies Trust Limited, which runs 14 schools. The nearest others:

• Weaverham Primary Academy Northwich
• The Oak View Academy Winsford
• Delamere CofE Primary Academy Tarporley
• St John's CofE Academy Sandbach
• Calveley Primary Academy Tarporley
• Kingsbourne Academy Nantwich
• Acton Church of England Primary Academy Nantwich
• Millfields Primary Academy Nantwich
• Acresfield Academy Chester
• St Martin's Academy Chester Chester

What is The Rudheath Senior Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Rudheath Senior Academy is Good, from an inspection in March 2023.

When was The Rudheath Senior Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

The Rudheath Senior Academy was last inspected in March 2023.

How many pupils does The Rudheath Senior Academy have?

The Rudheath Senior Academy has 576 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Rudheath Senior Academy cover?

The Rudheath Senior Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are The Rudheath Senior Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 32.2, and 19% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The Rudheath Senior Academy?

The Rudheath Senior Academy is at Middlewich Road, Rudheath, Northwich, Cheshire, CW9 7DT.