North Chadderton School

North Chadderton School is a large 11–18 mixed comprehensive within The Oak Trust. Inspectors found an inclusive, caring community where pupils from a wide range of backgrounds mix well, feel safe and are generally calm and respectful in lessons and around the site. The school is ambitious for all pupils, including those with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, and has strengthened its curriculum and teaching since the previous inspection. Outcomes are improving, attendance is above national averages, reading support is effective, and pupils benefit from a broad personal development and careers programme. Sixth-form students are mature role models and are well provided for. Leadership is a strength: staff, the local advisory committee and trustees share a clear ambition, and the trust provides effective support. Earlier curriculum weaknesses and variability in teaching have been addressed, most teachers now deliver subject content well, and safeguarding is effective. The main area for improvement is that, in a small number of key stage 3 and 4 subjects, some teachers do not use the most suitable methods—sometimes making the purpose of lessons unclear or introducing new content before checking understanding—so some pupils develop gaps in knowledge and struggle to recall what has been taught. Under the current framework, no overall effectiveness grade was awarded.

Strengths

• Inclusive, caring community where pupils from a wide range of backgrounds mix well and feel safe.
• Pupils behave calmly around the large site and listen respectfully in lessons.
• Sixth-form students set a mature example and use their study and social areas responsibly.
• Broad, ambitious curriculum is clearly sequenced, with staff trained to deliver essential knowledge.
• Most teachers have strong subject knowledge and explain concepts clearly, revisiting important learning.
• Pupils, including those with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, progress well in most subjects.
• SEND identification is quick and accurate, and staff are increasingly confident in meeting pupils’ needs.
• Attendance is above national average for all pupils, including those with SEND or who are disadvantaged.
• Effective reading support identifies gaps and helps most pupils become more confident readers.
• A very full careers programme and increasing extra-curricular opportunities enrich pupils’ personal development.
• Leaders are considerate of staff workload and well-being, and trust and local advisory support is effective.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• In a small number of key stage 3 and 4 subjects, teaching does not consistently use the most suitable methods to help pupils understand and remember key knowledge.
• In these subjects, lesson purpose can be unclear or new content introduced before checking understanding, leaving some pupils with gaps and weaker recall.

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 North Chadderton School attended 91.9% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 20.8% 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, 3.5% of pupils at North Chadderton School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 4 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 North Chadderton School had 16.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 25.1% 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, 9.2% of pupils at North Chadderton School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.5% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 12 pupils.

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 North Chadderton School received £7,702 and spent £7,544 for each of its 1,569 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,503,000 (£958 per pupil).

Across all 3 schools of The Oak Trust, income was £7,413 and spending £7,267 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 Oldham · Oldham local authority: places and applications

North Chadderton School is part of The Oak Trust, which runs 3 schools. The nearest others:

• Thorp Primary School Oldham
• Fir Bank Primary School Oldham

What is North Chadderton School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for North Chadderton School is Good, from an inspection in December 2024.

When was North Chadderton School last inspected by Ofsted?

North Chadderton School was last inspected in December 2024.

How many pupils does North Chadderton School have?

North Chadderton School has 1,524 pupils on roll.

What age range does North Chadderton School cover?

North Chadderton School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are North Chadderton School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 44.4, and 38% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is North Chadderton School?

North Chadderton School is at Chadderton Hall Road, Chadderton, Oldham, Lancashire, OL9 0BN.