Saint John Henry Newman Roman Catholic College, A Voluntary Academy Review 2026: Large Catholic secondary with improving systems and strong enrichment

This is a large, mixed Catholic secondary in Chadderton serving students aged 11 to 16. Its scale matters, capacity is 1,650, so year groups can feel sizeable and socially varied, with plenty of scope for specialist teams and structured pastoral systems.

The most recent graded Ofsted inspection available for the predecessor school (the school that operated on the same site before the academy conversion) judged the school Requires Improvement (inspection dates 17 to 18 May 2023), with safeguarding confirmed effective. That report also describes a student body that generally feels safe and well cared for, alongside inconsistency in classroom behaviour routines and an uneven curriculum experience across subjects at the time.

For families weighing options locally, the admissions picture points to demand. Oldham Council’s admissions statistics for the 2025 intake list a planned admission number (PAN) of 300 for Newman, with a recorded furthest distance allocation of 2.566 miles for that year. Distances vary annually based on applicant distribution; proximity provides priority but does not guarantee a place.

The Catholic identity is prominent and practical rather than just symbolic. The school positions its day to day culture around dignity, excellence, and Gospel values such as love, service, courage, and reconciliation, with the patron story and its name change following John Henry Newman’s canonisation used as a recurring reference point for students.

The external evidence for day to day experience is fairly clear on the broad shape. The May 2023 inspection describes students (including those with special educational needs and or disabilities) as feeling cared for and generally enjoying coming to school, which is a meaningful baseline for any parent considering a large secondary.

The same source is equally direct about the main challenge at that point: behaviour systems were improving, but not applied consistently by all staff, so low level disruption and late arrival to lessons could interrupt learning in some classrooms. Bullying was typically dealt with quickly when reported, but some students said derogatory language and homophobic comments were not always resolved consistently well. These details matter because they suggest the lived experience could vary between classes, and that families should pay close attention to behaviour routines and staff consistency when visiting.

Leadership has been in motion through the academy conversion period. Mrs K Phillips is listed as headteacher on the school’s own contact information, and a letter published in April 2025 confirms she was beginning her role as headteacher at that time.

FindMySchool’s GCSE outcomes ranking places the school 1,810th in England and 7th in Oldham (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), a profile that sits in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile).

On the headline GCSE-style indicators available here, Attainment 8 is recorded as 46.2. The EBacc average point score is 4.08, and 19.2% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths within the EBacc measure. Progress 8 is recorded at -0.14, which indicates progress slightly below the national benchmark of 0.00.

For parents, the implication is that outcomes look broadly typical for England on this dataset, with a need to look beyond the headline and ask where the strongest departments are and how consistently behaviour and attendance routines protect learning time, since these are the levers most likely to shift results in a large comprehensive-style intake.

The most useful detail here is not a subject list, but what quality looks like in practice. Reading was described as a clear priority at the time of the last graded inspection, with students using library resources well, and staff trained to identify and support students who struggle with reading through structured programmes. In a secondary setting, that kind of targeted literacy work is often the difference between students coping across the curriculum and gradually falling behind in subjects with heavier reading loads.

The curriculum picture, as described in 2023, was mixed. Some subjects had clear sequencing and effective assessment that helped staff spot and address gaps, while other subjects were not yet designed with enough breadth and ambition, and delivery could be variable. The implication for families is simple: ask how curriculum planning is now standardised across departments, and how leaders check that teaching approaches are applied consistently, particularly at key stage 4 where stakes and student anxiety rise.

Support for students with SEND is described as systematic, with effective identification and staff training to help students with SEND access the same curriculum as peers. For a large school, this matters because it signals that SEND practice is not reliant on a single specialist, but embedded across teaching teams.

With students leaving at 16, the key question is how well the school prepares them for a wide set of post-16 routes. The May 2023 inspection notes career events designed to broaden students’ understanding of options, which is encouraging for families thinking about apprenticeships, vocational courses, and sixth form pathways as well as traditional academic routes.

The same report flags a specific development area at that time: the personal, social, health and economic education programme was described as limited in effectiveness in places, especially at key stage 4, with gaps in preparing students for life in modern society. That is not a small point, because strong results can be undermined if students are not well prepared for the practical and social realities of college, work placements, and independent travel. The right approach as a parent is to ask what has changed since 2023, how citizenship, relationships education, and careers guidance are sequenced, and what targeted support exists for students at risk of becoming not in education, employment or training after Year 11.

Year 7 entry is coordinated through the local authority, and the school’s admissions guidance for September 2026 entry directs parents to apply online to their home local authority. The school also states that applicants must complete a supplementary form and return it to the school, and that both steps must be completed for the application to be considered.

Oldham Council’s published timeline for secondary admissions for children due to start in September 2026 is clear: applications opened 01 August 2025 and closed at 5:00pm on 31 October 2025, with decisions notified on 02 March 2026. Late applications opened 05 November 2025, with a late deadline of 17 July 2026.

In terms of competitiveness, Oldham’s own published admissions statistics for the 2025 cycle list a PAN of 300 for Newman and a recorded furthest distance allocation of 2.566 miles. Distances vary annually based on applicant distribution; proximity provides priority but does not guarantee a place. Because this is a Catholic school, families should also expect faith related criteria and evidence to matter within the oversubscription rules, and the supplementary form requirement underlines that point.

If you are shortlisting locally, the FindMySchool Map Search is a sensible first step to understand travel times and compare your home location against historical allocation distances, then use the local hub Comparison Tool to benchmark GCSE outcomes against other nearby secondaries.

The last graded inspection paints a pastoral model with several tangible features. Students with vulnerabilities were described as using a pastoral care centre and lunchtime wellbeing clubs to help regulate emotions, which is a practical, day to day intervention rather than a purely reactive approach after incidents.

Safeguarding was assessed as effective, with staff training and clear reporting systems, and timely support for students at risk of harm. That is a foundational reassurance for families, especially given the earlier note about inconsistent resolution of some derogatory language reports, which is precisely the kind of issue that a strong safeguarding culture should help address through clear escalation routes and consistent staff practice.

This is an area where the school provides concrete, named opportunities that go beyond generic “lots of clubs”. The school lists Debate Mate alongside Pupil Chaplain and Student Council as structured, skills-based groups that build teamwork, leadership, and communication. These are particularly well aligned with a Catholic ethos that emphasises service and moral formation, because they create formal roles for students to practise responsibility rather than simply discuss it.

The current extracurricular timetable published by the school also gives a useful sense of rhythm. Lunch time provision includes Basketball Club in the Sports Hall, Chess Club, Eco Club in the Eco Garden, and Fitness Club in the Fitness Suite, plus key stage specific clubs such as KS3 Computing Club and KS4 Computing Club, and photography and art clubs by key stage. The implication is that students who are not drawn to competitive sport still have a range of structured options at low friction times in the day.

External evidence also points to enrichment with recognised frameworks. The May 2023 inspection references debating competitions, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, and the Cadet Force, and describes student leadership roles that include environmental projects and culture days. For many families, these are the elements that build confidence and social range, especially for students who do not find academic success effortless.

The published school day runs from registration at 08:45 to the end of period 5 at 15:15, with a lunch break from 13:35 to 14:15.

For transport planning, the school provides a dedicated transport section on its website, and families should cross-check travel time at peak hours, particularly for students attending lunchtime or after school enrichment.

• Inspection position and improvement journey. The most recent graded inspection available for the predecessor school judged it Requires Improvement (May 2023). The report identifies specific issues, curriculum unevenness, variable delivery, and inconsistent application of behaviour systems, so families should ask for clear evidence of what has changed and how leaders monitor consistency.

• Behaviour consistency between classrooms. The 2023 inspection describes improved behaviour systems that were not applied consistently by all staff, with low level disruption affecting learning in some rooms. This is the sort of issue that can feel very different depending on a student’s timetable and teacher mix.

• PSHE and citizenship depth. The same report highlights limitations in the breadth and effectiveness of the PSHE programme at key stage 4 at that time, so parents may want to see how the curriculum now prepares students for modern society and post-16 choices.

• Admissions process has two steps. For September 2026 entry, the school states that a local authority application plus a supplementary form are both required, so organisation and deadlines matter.

This is a large Catholic secondary with clear faith framing, a structured school day, and a published extracurricular offer that includes named programmes such as Debate Mate and student leadership roles, alongside lunchtime clubs and wellbeing provision. The most recent graded inspection available (May 2023, for the predecessor school) sets a realistic baseline, students generally felt safe and cared for, safeguarding was effective, and improvements were under way, but curriculum and behaviour consistency needed tightening.

Who it suits: families seeking a faith-centred secondary in Oldham with a broad peer group and a mix of enrichment and support structures, particularly where students benefit from defined routines and lunchtime clubs that make participation easy. The main challenge is ensuring the school’s improvement work translates into consistently calm classrooms and equally strong curriculum planning across subjects.