The Blue Coat CofE SchoolWaterhead Academy
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Oldham.
Summary of the comparison
The Blue Coat CofE School and Waterhead Academy are secondary schools in Oldham.
The Blue Coat CofE School scores 77 out of 100 (grade B, strong) and Waterhead Academy scores 38 out of 100 (grade F, weak). The Blue Coat CofE School is ahead on our composite score.
The Blue Coat CofE School was judged Outstanding and Waterhead Academy was judged in need of attention.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 59.1 for The Blue Coat CofE School and 34.0 for Waterhead Academy.
GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at The Blue Coat CofE School (61.9 in 2021-22, 59.1 in 2024-25) and has held broadly level at Waterhead Academy (33.4 in 2021-22, 34.0 in 2024-25).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | OldhamThe Blue Coat CofE School | OldhamWaterhead Academy | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | B77/100Stronger figure | F38/100 | |
| Local ranking | 1st of 11 in Oldham Stronger figure | 10th of 11 in Oldham | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: OutstandingStronger figure | Ofsted: Requires improvement | |
| School type | Academy converter | Academy sponsor led | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-18 | 11-16 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,669 | 947 | |
| Capacity | 1,550 | 1,500 | |
| Location | Oldham, OL1 3SQ | Oldham, OL4 3NY | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 59.1 Stronger figure | 34.0 | 46.0 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 73.6% Stronger figure | 22.0% | 45.4% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 87.6% Stronger figure | 39.0% | 64.8% |
| Entering EBacc | 88.4% Stronger figure | 42.9% | 40.5% |
| EBacc average point score | 5.49 Stronger figure | 2.98 | 4.09 |
| Cohort | 250 | 259 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | 219 | Not reported | |
| A-level average points | 35.3 | Not reported | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | B- | Not reported | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | 35.4 | Not reported | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | 16.7% | Not reported | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,669 | 947 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 16.9% | 51.5% | |
| English as an additional language | 14.9% | 42.1% | |
| SEN support | 5.3% | 20.9% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 3.1% | 1.6% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 4.8% Stronger figure | 9.2% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 10.9% Stronger figure | 29.7% | 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.
The Blue Coat CofE School
Waterhead Academy
Full profiles: The Blue Coat CofE School · Waterhead Academy