St Anne’s Church of England Academy Review 2026: Purposeful 11–16 schooling with a strong focus on reading and personal development

This is an 11 to 16 secondary where the day starts early, expectations are explicit from Year 7, and the timetable makes a clear statement about priorities. Students begin form time at 08:30, follow five main lesson periods, and then move into enrichment from 14:50 for Years 7 to 10 on most days. Every other Tuesday (week 2), students finish at 13:50 and complete an hour of independent learning at home, freeing staff time for a planned training programme focused on improvement.

The most recent Ofsted inspection (10 July 2024) judged the school Good overall and Good in quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.

Leadership has been stable, with Mr Chris Heyes as head teacher, appointed on 24 September 2019.

St Anne’s presents itself as calm, structured, and community-facing. The public-facing message from the head teacher emphasises a “caring, safe, happy and purposeful” environment, with named points of contact for families and early planning for students with additional needs. That combination often matters most in the first term of Year 7, when routines, confidence, and friendships are still settling.

The school’s Church of England character is visible through the way it frames values, service, and collective experience, but it also states directly that children of all faiths and none are welcomed. Faith and community content references assemblies, collective worship, student fellowship, curriculum Religious Studies, and links with local churches, alongside charity and community events. For families seeking a school where ethos is present but not exclusive, that is a useful signal.

There is also a strong “belonging through participation” thread. The school highlights structured routes for students to contribute, including student leadership and service-oriented opportunities. A practical example is the way volunteering is organised through identifiable groups and programmes, rather than left as an informal add-on.

This review uses performance data for England, presented through FindMySchool rankings based on official datasets, alongside the school’s published inspection record.

GCSE performance and ranking context

• Ranked 2,637th in England and 55th in the local area for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). This places the school broadly in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile).

• Attainment 8 is 44.3.

• Progress 8 is -0.34, which indicates that, on average, students make below-average progress from their starting points compared with similar pupils nationally.

Taken together, the figures suggest a school where outcomes are improving in some areas, but progress remains an important lens for parents to explore in detail. The right next step is to ask how progress is tracked by subject, and which interventions are used for students who arrive below age-related expectations.

EBacc indicators

EBacc-related measures in the available dataset are relatively modest. The percentage achieving grades 5 or above in the EBacc is 8.1%, and the average EBacc APS is 3.56 compared with an England average of 4.08. These measures can be influenced by entry patterns as well as attainment; parents should ask how languages and humanities are positioned for different prior attainment groups, and how students are guided at options time.

For parents comparing local schools, the FindMySchool Local Hub comparison tool is a practical way to view these GCSE measures side-by-side with nearby alternatives, using the same baselines.

The curriculum intent is explicit about knowledge building, literacy, and structured practice. The school’s curriculum policy sets out a progressive approach that builds on prior experience, with systematic checking of understanding and quick correction of misconceptions, alongside adaptations intended to help all pupils access the same core entitlement, including students with SEND.

Reading and literacy as a whole-school priority

A distinctive feature here is how deliberately reading is designed into the weekly rhythm. The curriculum policy describes:

• a transition reading programme based on Geraldine McCaughan’s abridged The Odyssey (used as a shared text through transition and into Year 7 English),

• guided reading three times per week at Key Stage 3, with hard-copy texts and supported fluency through tutor reading and audio,

• and a Year 10 non-fiction reading approach linked to Key Stage 4 content.

The practical implication is that literacy is not treated as only the English department’s responsibility. In schools where reading routines are consistent, students who arrive with weaker comprehension often gain confidence faster, because expectations are stable across subjects.

The Tuesday independent curriculum pattern

Every other Tuesday (week 2) students leave at 13:50 and complete one hour of independent remote learning at home. The school frames this as a timetable adjustment that protects core lesson time while creating capacity for staff training.

For families, this is helpful to know early because it affects childcare, transport, and routines. Educationally, it also signals a school that is making time for teacher development, which can be important in sustaining improvement.

This is an 11 to 16 school, so the key destination point is post-16 progression into sixth forms, colleges, training, or apprenticeships. The school does not publish a full set of destination statistics in the data available here, so it is best to treat destinations as a conversation topic rather than a numbers exercise.

What is clear is that careers and next-steps planning is positioned as a structured programme from Year 7 to Year 11, embedded across curriculum and enrichment.

For parents of Year 9 and Year 10 students, the most useful questions are practical: how options guidance is delivered, how employers and providers are brought in, what the application support looks like for local sixth forms and colleges, and how the school supports students aiming for technical routes.

Admissions are coordinated through Rochdale Borough Council for Year 7 places. For September 2026 entry, the local authority timetable states:

• Applications open Monday 1 September 2025

• Closing date Friday 31 October 2025

• National offer day Monday 2 March 2026

The school also publishes its appeal timetable for September 2026 Year 7 entry:

• Offer date 2 March 2026

• Appeals to be lodged by 28 April 2026

• Appeals to be heard by 14 June 2026

Demand data available for the most recent cycle indicates the school is oversubscribed, with 455 applications for 173 offers, a ratio of 2.63 applications per place. That level of demand typically means families should plan realistically, use all preferences available in the coordinated application, and understand the school’s published oversubscription criteria.

Parents considering admission should use the FindMySchoolMap Search to check travel practicality and to sanity-check the feasibility of daily routines, particularly if relying on public transport.

Pastoral messaging is prominent in the way the school communicates with families, including an emphasis on early planning for students with additional needs and a clear statement that staff will support students to participate and succeed, especially during difficult periods for families.

Support structures appear in several practical places on the website, including signposting to Early Help for families, information and guidance, trusted adults, and mental health support resources.

A sensible approach for parents is to ask how these pathways work in practice, who the first point of contact is for different concerns, and how the school communicates when attendance or wellbeing issues begin to emerge.

Extracurricular life here is framed as both enrichment and community participation. A key strength is that the school can point to specific clubs and programmes rather than speaking only in generalities.

Clubs and activities students can recognise

The most recent inspection record references clubs such as anime, debating, music, and e-sports, alongside opportunities like the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and participation in the school show.

The implication for parents is that extracurricular life is not limited to sport; students with niche interests can find a structured place to belong.

Trips and experiences

The same inspection record references curriculum-linked trips, including visits to London and Italy, and it highlights a strong sports example: flag football champions looking forward to an Ohio international tournament.

These details matter because they show the school putting “wider opportunities” into practice, which can strengthen motivation for students who learn best when school feels connected to the wider world.

Service and leadership pathways

Volunteering is described in concrete terms, including the Year 10 Heroes visiting local care homes, supporting ASDAN-related activity, organising community meals, and participating in structured charity work such as preparing and delivering packed lunches in Manchester city centre.

For students who gain confidence through responsibility, these roles can be as formative as any club.

School day and finish times

The day begins with transition to form time at 08:25, with registration and form time from 08:30. The standard timetable runs through five lesson periods, with enrichment after 14:50 for Years 7 to 10. Year 11 can have an additional Period 6 after 14:50. Every other Tuesday (week 2), students finish at 13:50 for independent learning.

Transport

The school states it is well served by buses from Manchester, Rochdale, and Bury, highlighting the 163 service running past the school frequently at peak times, with the bus stop a short walk from the main entrance and staff on duty at the start and end of the day. It also references the igo pass with a £10 one-off charge for concessionary travel, plus eligibility routes for support with travel costs for some families.

Fees

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Families should still budget for standard school costs such as uniform, equipment, transport, and optional trips.

• Progress remains the key question. A Progress 8 score of -0.34 suggests students, on average, make below-average progress compared with similar pupils. Families should ask which subjects drive that figure, and what targeted support looks like for students who arrive behind.

• The timetable includes early finishes every other Tuesday. Week 2 Tuesdays finish at 13:50, with independent learning completed at home. This is manageable for many families, but it does require planning for transport and supervision.

• Competition for places is real. The available demand data indicates oversubscription, with 2.63 applications per place in the most recent dataset cycle. This raises the importance of using all preferences and understanding admissions criteria.

• Faith is part of the school’s identity. The Church of England ethos is integrated into assemblies and community life, while the school also states it welcomes children of all faiths and none. Families should ensure this balance feels right for them.

St Anne’s Church of England Academy is an 11 to 16 option that emphasises routines, reading, and personal development alongside a broad set of clubs and service opportunities. It suits families who want a structured day, visible expectations, and an ethos that includes faith-based community values while remaining open to all backgrounds. The main decision point is whether the academic progress picture aligns with your child’s needs, and whether the timetable pattern, including week 2 Tuesday early finishes, fits your family logistics.