Hollingworth Academy

Hollingworth Academy has received a 'Good' overall effectiveness grading in its first inspection under the current framework, following a significant gap since its last evaluation. The school has built a positive culture characterized by respect, responsibility, and resilience, where most pupils demonstrate good behaviour and are happy to attend. While the leadership has established high expectations for academic achievement, the school has notable strengths in its support for vocational education and opportunities for student enrichment through trips and guest speakers.

Strengths

• High expectations for pupil behaviour and achievement
• Strong relationships between pupils and teachers
• Support for vocational interests with access to specialist facilities
• Broad and balanced curriculum that is ambitious for most pupils
• Strong subject knowledge among teachers
• Effective personal development and careers advice
• Strong culture of safeguarding

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent curriculum delivery in a small number of subjects
• Some teachers do not have high enough expectations for pupils with SEND

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 Hollingworth Academy attended 92.6% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 20.3% 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, 8.0% of pupils at Hollingworth Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 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 Hollingworth Academy had 18.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.2% 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, 11.3% of pupils at Hollingworth Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.1% 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 Hollingworth Academy received £8,734 and spent £8,751 for each of its 1,345 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £198,000 (£147 per pupil).

Across all 3 schools of Hollingworth Learning Trust, income was £8,682 and spending £8,676 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

Hollingworth Academy is part of Hollingworth Learning Trust, which runs 3 schools. The nearest others:

• Newhouse Academy Heywood
• Heap Bridge Village Primary School Bury

What is Hollingworth Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Hollingworth Academy is Good, from an inspection in January 2023.

When was Hollingworth Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Hollingworth Academy was last inspected in January 2023.

How many pupils does Hollingworth Academy have?

Hollingworth Academy has 1,331 pupils on roll.

What age range does Hollingworth Academy cover?

Hollingworth Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Hollingworth Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 50.6, and 60% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Hollingworth Academy?

Hollingworth Academy is at Cornfield Street, Milnrow, Rochdale, Lancashire, OL16 3DR.