Wardle Academy

Wardle Academy has maintained its 'good' rating following its first ungraded inspection since December 2017. The school is characterized by a positive atmosphere where pupils feel safe and happy, supported by strong relationships with staff. The curriculum is ambitious and well-structured, benefiting all learners, including those with special educational needs. While overall pupil behavior has significantly improved, some inconsistencies remain in certain areas of the school, and some subjects need better assessment strategies to solidify pupils' understanding.

Strengths

• Strong relationships between staff and pupils.
• Ambitious and well-designed curriculum.
• Effective support for pupils with SEND.
• Wide range of extra-curricular activities.
• Improved pupil behavior and engagement in learning.
• Effective safeguarding arrangements.

Areas for Improvement

• Some teachers do not effectively use assessment strategies in a few subjects.
• Inconsistencies in behavior management across the school.

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 Wardle Academy attended 91.0% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 27.1% 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, 10.0% of pupils at Wardle Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 5 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 Wardle Academy had 16.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.2% 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, 13.0% of pupils at Wardle Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.6% 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 Wardle Academy received £8,351 and spent £8,852 for each of its 1,368 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £788,000 (£576 per pupil).

Across all 9 schools of Watergrove Trust, income was £7,937 and spending £8,400 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 Rochdale · Rochdale local authority: places and applications

Wardle Academy is part of Watergrove Trust, which runs 9 schools. The nearest others:

• St Andrew's Church of England Primary School and Nursery Rochdale
• St James' Church of England Primary School Rochdale
• Kentmere Primary Academy Rochdale
• Moorhouse Academy Rochdale
• Falinge Park High School Rochdale
• St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone Rochdale
• Sandbrook Community Primary School Rochdale
• Matthew Moss High School Rochdale

What is Wardle Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Wardle Academy is Good, from an inspection in December 2022.

When was Wardle Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Wardle Academy was last inspected in December 2022.

How many pupils does Wardle Academy have?

Wardle Academy has 1,366 pupils on roll.

What age range does Wardle Academy cover?

Wardle Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Wardle Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 44.6, and 38% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Wardle Academy?

Wardle Academy is at Birch Road, Wardle, Rochdale, Greater Manchester, OL12 9RD.