St Damian's RC Science CollegeDixons Ashton Academy
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Ashton-under-Lyne.
Summary of the comparison
St Damian's RC Science College and Dixons Ashton Academy are secondary schools in Ashton-under-Lyne.
St Damian's RC Science College scores 74 out of 100 (grade B, strong) and Dixons Ashton Academy scores 45 out of 100 (grade D, below average). St Damian's RC Science College is ahead on our composite score.
St Damian's RC Science College was judged Outstanding and Dixons Ashton Academy was judged the expected standard.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 56.0 for St Damian's RC Science College and 37.7 for Dixons Ashton Academy.
GCSE Attainment 8 has held broadly level at St Damian's RC Science College (55.0 in 2021-22, 56.0 in 2025-26) and has held broadly level at Dixons Ashton Academy (36.3 in 2021-22, 37.7 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | Ashton-under-LyneSt Damian's RC Science College | Ashton-under-LyneDixons Ashton Academy | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | B74/100Stronger figure | D45/100 | |
| Local ranking | 2nd of 16 in Tameside Stronger figure | 9th of 16 in Tameside | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: OutstandingStronger figure | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Voluntary aided school | Academy sponsor led | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-16 | 11-16 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 829 | 1,326 | |
| Capacity | 825 | 1,350 | |
| Location | Ashton-under-Lyne, OL6 8BH | Ashton-under-Lyne, OL6 8RF | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 56.0 Stronger figure | 37.7 | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 67.9% Stronger figure | 27.1% | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 87.0% Stronger figure | 51.1% | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 162 | 266 | |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 827 | 1,299 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 25.0% | 50.1% | |
| English as an additional language | 20.9% | 25.9% | |
| SEN support | 11.5% | 18.2% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 2.9% | 3.9% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 5.2% Stronger figure | 10.9% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 11.9% Stronger figure | 26.8% | 15.8% |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
GCSE Attainment 8
GCSE Progress 8
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Ethnicity over time
One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.
St Damian's RC Science College
Dixons Ashton Academy
Full profiles: St Damian's RC Science College · Dixons Ashton Academy