E-ACT Royton and Crompton Academy Review 2026: A fast-improving 11–16 academy with standout personal development

This is a large, mixed secondary academy serving Royton and the surrounding Oldham area, with a strong emphasis on character, routines, and creating the conditions for learning. The most recent Ofsted inspection (8–9 July 2025) graded Quality of Education, Behaviour and Attitudes, and Leadership and Management as Good, with Personal Development graded Outstanding. From September 2024, Ofsted no longer provides a single overall effectiveness grade for state-funded schools, so these four judgements are the headline indicators.

Leadership has also been a clear story in the past two years. Gemma Cottingham has been headteacher since June 2024, following a period of earlier leadership under Andrea Atkinson.

For families, the key question is fit. This academy will suit students who benefit from structure, clear expectations, and a school day designed around punctuality, attendance, and consistent routines. It is also a state school, so there are no tuition fees.

The most reliable picture of day-to-day culture comes from the latest inspection evidence and the school’s published materials. The July 2025 report describes a calm and respectful atmosphere and highlights strong relationships between pupils and staff, alongside an emphasis on character education and preparation for adulthood.

A notable feature is the explicit focus on personal development, which Ofsted judged Outstanding in July 2025. In practical terms, that tends to show up through leadership roles (for example, prefects and student leadership responsibilities), and through a menu of enrichment options that are positioned as part of the school’s identity, not an optional extra.

The current headteacher, Gemma Cottingham, is associated in official documentation with a values-led approach and an emphasis on aspiration and confidence-building. Her tenure is still relatively recent, but it matters because many families are weighing a school’s trajectory as much as its snapshot results. Published trust materials describe the academy as led by her since June 2024.

Finally, the academy sits within the E-ACT multi-academy trust, which means governance and improvement capacity extend beyond the site leadership team. Ofsted explicitly confirms the trust structure and named trust leadership in the report.

On FindMySchool’s GCSE ranking, the academy is ranked 3,307th in England and 15th in Oldham for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking). This places performance below England average, within the lower-performing group when viewed across all ranked secondary schools in England.

The underlying GCSE-related indicators reinforce that picture. Attainment 8 is recorded as 37.2, Progress 8 is -0.53, EBacc APS is 3.12, and 8.3% of pupils achieved grades 5 or above across the EBacc measure. These are the figures to use for like-for-like comparisons within FindMySchool’s local hub and comparison tools, because they keep the methodology consistent across schools.

A practical way to use this section as a parent is to separate “outcomes today” from “school direction”. The July 2025 inspection explicitly notes that published performance data does not fully reflect the strengths of the current educational offer, and grades the quality of education as Good. That combination often indicates that teaching and curriculum practice are improving, while exam outcomes may lag as cohorts move through the system.

Parents comparing options in Oldham can use the FindMySchool Local Hub pages and the comparison tool to set this academy alongside other realistic alternatives, using the same outcome metrics across the board.

The July 2025 inspection provides the most dependable “how learning works here” detail, because it is based on subject deep dives and curriculum scrutiny across multiple departments. The report confirms deep dives in English, mathematics, science, history, Spanish, and art and design, which indicates a broad academic spread rather than a single-subject narrative.

The picture that emerges is of a school pushing for consistently high expectations and clear support, including for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The inspection report notes that pupils with SEND receive the guidance they need to succeed, and that most pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, achieve well within the school’s current framework.

For families, the implication is that this is a structured learning environment. Students who respond to clear routines and predictable classroom systems are likely to do well. Those who need a highly self-directed, low-structure approach may find it more challenging, particularly in the earlier adjustment period.

This academy is 11–16, with no sixth form, so progression at 16 is a key planning point rather than a footnote. Families should expect that post-16 routes will include a mix of sixth form colleges, school sixth forms in the wider area, and technical or apprenticeship pathways, depending on grades and student preference.

A useful thing to look for when visiting or reading the school’s published materials is how careers guidance is organised for Years 9–11, including employer encounters, technical education information, and practical support with college applications. Ofsted confirms the school meets the Baker Clause requirements around technical education and apprenticeships information, which matters for families weighing college versus sixth form routes.

Admissions are coordinated through Oldham Council, using the standard local authority application process. For September 2026 entry into Year 7, Oldham’s published timetable sets applications opening on 01 August 2025 and closing on 31 October 2025, with offers notified on 02 March 2026.

The academy’s own determined admissions arrangements for 2026–2027 confirm a Published Admission Number (PAN) of 240 for Year 7, and confirm that Year 7 applications follow the local authority’s timelines for the normal admissions round.

There is no FindMySchool “last distance offered” figure available for this school in the supplied dataset, so it is not sensible to rely on historic distance cut-offs as a planning tool here. Instead, families should focus on (a) the oversubscription criteria in the determined admissions arrangements, and (b) the practical realities of travel time and the school day structure. When distance matters for a shortlist, parents should use FindMySchool’s Map Search to calculate their precise home-to-gate distance and sense-check travel feasibility, then confirm how the local authority measures distance in the relevant admissions year.

Pastoral strength is a clear theme in the available evidence. The July 2025 inspection highlights a strong emphasis on character development and notes that pupils have access to therapeutic and mental health services, framed as enabling pupils to make the most of school opportunities.

It is also worth noticing what is implied by the school day expectations published in academy policies and information pages. Students are expected on site by around 08:25, with the school day starting at 08:30 and lessons ending at 15:00. That punctuality focus is not only operational, it also signals a culture where routines and consistency are treated as part of wellbeing, not just part of compliance.

For parents, the practical implication is that wellbeing support is likely to be at its best when home and school routines are aligned. If a student struggles with mornings, attendance anxiety, or punctuality, it is worth discussing support early, because the school’s published expectations are explicit and consistently applied.

Extracurricular life is one of the most distinctive parts of the academy’s current positioning, particularly where it overlaps with personal development.

A concrete example is the Combined Cadet Force (CCF), which the academy describes as offering opportunities such as flying, sailing, and leadership development. The evidence point is that CCF is not mentioned as a generic club, it is presented as a structured programme with clear intended outcomes around responsibility and teamwork. The implication is that students who enjoy organised challenge and leadership roles may find this a strong fit, and those experiences can be motivating for students who do not define themselves purely by exam results.

A second example is the academy’s partnership activity described with the Manchester United Foundation, including a named space, the GCE Lounge, positioned as a safe, welcoming area that blends games, relaxation, and study. The evidence is specific, including the named facility and the involvement of a full-time foundation officer, which indicates a sustained programme rather than a one-off event. The implication for families is that wellbeing and enrichment may show up in tangible spaces and staff time, not only in assemblies or policy statements.

Beyond these headline programmes, Ofsted’s report references activities including chess, strategy gaming, and book club, alongside roles such as reading ambassadors. The value here is not the activities themselves, but the signal that enrichment is used to build confidence, responsibility, and belonging.

On the facilities side, local authority commissioned sports strategy documents identify the school’s 3G pitch provision as part of Oldham’s wider community sports infrastructure, with the pitch assessed as good quality in the published assessment. For students, that typically translates into more reliable PE and fixtures capacity across the year.

The school day structure is clearly set out in published academy documents and information pages. Students are expected on site by around 08:25, the day begins at 08:30, and lessons end at 15:00.

This is a secondary academy, so wraparound care is not usually positioned in the same way as primary provision. If before-school supervision or after-school provision is important for your family’s logistics, it is sensible to check directly what is available and whether it is structured (for example, a formal homework space) or informal.

For travel, families should consider the realism of the morning arrival expectation, especially if relying on public transport. A quick test is to map your door-to-gate commute for an 08:25 arrival on a typical weekday. If you are close to the margin, small delays can become frequent late marks, which is avoidable stress for students.

• GCSE outcomes remain a work in progress. The FindMySchool GCSE ranking places the academy 3,307th in England and 15th in Oldham, and the recorded Progress 8 figure is negative. Families should weigh the academic trajectory described in the 2025 inspection against current published outcomes.

• No sixth form means an earlier transition decision. Students will move to a new provider at 16, so it helps to understand how careers guidance, college applications, and technical routes are supported through Years 10 and 11.

• Punctuality expectations are explicit. An 08:25 expected arrival and 08:30 start can be a positive structure, but it requires consistent home routines and realistic travel planning.

• A structured culture will not suit every learner. Students who prefer a looser, highly self-directed environment may find the routines and expectations more demanding, especially during the first term of Year 7.

E-ACT Royton and Crompton Academy looks best understood as a school on an upward path, with a strong personal development offer and a structured, expectation-led approach to daily routines. The July 2025 inspection grades point to a school that is doing many of the right things in education quality, behaviour, and leadership, even as published exam outcomes still show challenges.

Who it suits: students who benefit from clarity, consistent routines, and opportunities to build confidence through leadership and enrichment, including structured programmes such as CCF. Securing the right fit will depend on how your child responds to structure, and how proactively your family wants the school to support the 16-plus transition.