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Schools in Heywood

A town in Rochdale

  • Town
  • 28 schools and nurseries
  • 4,767 pupils

In short: Most primary schools here are rated Good or better, about the same as across England. Results at 11 are close to England, and results at 16 were close to England in 2026. Missing school is a bigger problem than across England.

Three children with backpacks crossing a street
A red-brick school building under a blue sky

Heywood at a glance

Behind England on attendance

How Heywood's schools compare with England, area by area.

DfE and Ofsted data, 2014 to 2026How we work this out
  • Schools and nurseries289 primary · 2 secondary · 15 nurseries
  • Primaries Good or better100%England 96%
  • Met the standard at 1160%England 62%
  • Grade 5 in English and maths51%Attainment 8 47.5, England 46.2
  • Free school meals, primary33%A sign of family income
  • Missed a lot of school20%England 18%
Top-rated

The highest-rated schools in Heywood

Primary and secondary schools are ranked by Eduscope score, which weighs up results, inspections, attendance and more. Nurseries, special and independent schools aren't ranked. A high score isn't everything: always visit.

All Heywood primary schools

Top Primary Schools in Heywood

9 mainstream schools in Heywood, best first

Hopwood Community Primary School

Heywood, OL10 2HN · State · Primary · Ages 4 to 11

  • Ofsted:Outstanding

Results above the England average.

68 first choices, 60 offers made

Met the standard at 1168%

England 62%

Days missed
3.8%
Pupils
421
Pupils per teacher
21.1
View school Hopwood Community Primary School

Top Secondary Schools in Heywood

2 mainstream schools in Heywood, best first

Newhouse Academy

Heywood, OL10 2NT · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 16

  • Ofsted:Requires improvement

Results close to the England average.

130 first choices, 207 offers made

Attainment 8 at 1644.0

England 46.2

Days missed
9.1%
Pupils
974
Pupils per teacher
15.3
View school Newhouse Academy

Nurseries in Heywood

15 in Heywood, highest Ofsted grade first

Sixth Forms in Heywood

1 in Heywood, by the school's Eduscope score

Heywood Academy

Rochdale, OL10 4TW · Secondary · Ages 11 to 19

  • No Ofsted grade yet

Specialist provision. Results aren't published in the same way.

Results

Not published for this kind of school.

Days missed
–
Pupils
21
Pupils per teacher
5.3
View school Heywood Academy

Special Schools in Heywood

2 in Heywood. Eduscope doesn't rank these.

Oak Haven School

Heywood, OL10 3PY · Special · All-through · Ages 7 to 16

  • Ofsted:Needs attention in 2 areas

Specialist provision. Results aren't published in the same way.

Results

Not published for this kind of school.

Days missed
41.6%
Pupils
98
Pupils per teacher
5.5
View school Oak Haven School

Heywood Academy

Rochdale, OL10 4TW · Secondary · Ages 11 to 19

  • No Ofsted grade yet

Specialist provision. Results aren't published in the same way.

Results

Not published for this kind of school.

Days missed
–
Pupils
21
Pupils per teacher
5.3
View school Heywood Academy
The map

Every school in Heywood, on one map

Each dot is a school or nursery, coloured by its latest Ofsted grade. Point at a dot to see its name, or use the list.

See them as a list
Show
Harwood Park Primary School, GoodHopwood Community Primary School, OutstandingSt Luke's Church of England Primary School, Outstanding in every areaAll Souls Church of England Primary School, OutstandingOak Haven School, Needs attention in 2 areasHoly Family Roman Catholic and Church of England College, Expected standard in every areaWoodland Community Primary School, GoodNewhouse Academy, Requires improvementOur Lady & St Paul's RC Primary School, A Voluntary Academy, GoodSt Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School Rochdale, a Voluntary Academy, GoodHeap Bridge Village Primary School, GoodHeywood AcademySt Margaret's Church of England Primary School, GoodBuilding Blocks Day Nursery (NW) LTD, GoodCabbage Patch Preschool, GoodHopwood House Day Nursery, GoodKids Planet Derby Street, GoodWendy's Private Nursery & Pre-School Group, GoodCrimble Croft Pre-School, GoodHopwood Park Playgroup, GoodSpring Willows Playgroup, GoodBeehive Daycare, GoodKids Planet HopwoodTiddlywinks Nursery School (Heywood) LtdKids Planet Heywood, Needs attention in 1 areaLittle Oaks HeywoodKids Planet WoodlandsSt Joseph's Preschool Nursery, Expected standard or better
  • Outstanding2
  • Good15
  • Requires improvement1
  • Not graded yet10
Before you apply

Apply through the council where you live

Your home council handles your application, wherever the school is. Living nearby doesn't guarantee a place: each school's admission rules decide.

Postcodes

Browse Heywood by postcode

Some areas, like parts of a bigger town, are easiest to find by postcode.

Heywood vs England

How good are Heywood's schools?

Inspections, exam results and attendance, next to the figure for England where we have it.

Worked out by Eduscope from each school's published figures. Not an official statistic for this town.

Numbers that sum up Heywood

HeywoodEngland

  • Primaries rated Good or Outstanding

    Latest Ofsted grade, 8 primaries with one.

    100%

    England 96%

    Close to England

  • Secondaries rated Good or Outstanding

    0 of the 1 with a grade.

    0%

    England 93%

    Below England

  • Met the expected standard at 11

    Reading, writing and maths.

    60%

    England 62%

    Close to England

  • Grade 5 or above in English and maths

    At GCSE.

    51%

  • Pupils who miss a lot of school

    Missed 1 in 10 days or more. Lower is better.

    20%

    England 18%

    Worse than England

  • Primary pupils on free school meals

    A sign of family income, not of school quality.

    33%

Ofsted grades

Latest graded inspection for the 9 schools that have one.

89%

Good or Outstanding

  • Outstanding2
  • Good6
  • Requires improvement1
  • Inadequate0

How it has changed

Heywood in blue. There were no tests in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid.

Met the expected standard at 11
Covid gap50%60%70%20182019202320242025
60% in 2025. England now 62% (dashed line).
Grade 5 or above in English and maths
Covid gap20%40%60%2018201920222023202420252026
48% in 2026.
Pupils who miss a lot of school
Covid gap0%15%30%20142015201620172018201920212022202320242025
20% in 2025. England now 18% (dashed line).
Living here

What it's like for families

Heywood has 28 schools and nurseries.

There are 11% more pupils than in 2018.

33% of primary pupils here get free school meals. Schools get extra money for each of them.

Pupil numbers

Pupils in Heywood's state schools each January.

Up 11% since 2018. More children can mean popular schools fill up faster.

Free school meals

Out of every 10 primary pupils, how many get free school meals. It's a sign of family income, not of school quality.

Heywood33%

Dates to know

Apply through your local council, even for academies and faith schools.

  • 31 OctSecondary deadlineFor children starting Year 7.
  • 15 JanPrimary deadlineFor children starting Reception.
  • 1 MarSecondary offersOffers day for Year 7 places.
  • 16 AprPrimary offersOffers day for Reception places.

Keep up with schools in Heywood

Follow any school and we'll email you when it gets a new Ofsted report or new results are out. Nothing else.

Questions

Questions parents ask about Heywood

How many schools are in Heywood?

Heywood has 28 schools, including 10 primary schools, 4 secondary schools, 15 nurseries, 2 special schools. Some count in more than one group. You can browse each category using the filters on Eduscope.

What are the best schools in Heywood?

The highest-ranked schools in Heywood on Eduscope are All Souls Church of England Primary School, Hopwood Community Primary School, St Luke's Church of England Primary School. We rank each state school against schools of the same phase across England on its Ofsted inspection, results and attendance. Independent, special and nursery schools aren't ranked.

What percentage of schools in Heywood are rated Good or Outstanding?

89% of inspected schools in Heywood hold a Good or Outstanding Ofsted rating, which is below the England average of 94.8%. This includes 2 schools rated Outstanding and 6 rated Good.

How do primary schools in Heywood perform at Key Stage 2?

Across primary schools in Heywood, 60% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths at Key Stage 2. This is based on the latest published results from the Department for Education.

What is the average pupil-teacher ratio in Heywood?

The average pupil-teacher ratio across schools in Heywood is 17.4:1. While not a direct measure of class size, this indicates the level of teaching resource available per pupil. Across England it is 17.9:1.

What is the persistent absence rate in Heywood schools?

The persistent absence rate across schools in Heywood is 19.5%. A pupil is classed as persistently absent if they miss 10% or more of school sessions. Across England it is 18.1%.

How many pupils attend schools in Heywood?

There are 4,767 pupils enrolled across schools in Heywood, with 2,906 in primary and 1,861 in secondary. 33.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals.

How do I choose the right school in Heywood?

Start by considering your child's age, your location, and whether you prefer a state or independent school. Use Eduscope to compare 28 schools in Heywood by Ofsted ratings, exam results, and distance. Filter by school type, gender, religious character, and admissions policy to narrow your options.

Sources: DfE school performance tables, DfE school census and workforce, DfE pupil absence, Ofsted. Photos are stand-ins.

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