School admissions in Oldham

How heavily each school was applied to for September 2026 entry, from the applications and offers every admissions authority reports to the DfE. 49 of these schools also have a published admissions cutoff distance. Sorted by first preferences per place. We don't invent rankings: the order is arithmetic on a published figure, not a view about which school is better.

Oldham in figures

For Reception places in September 2026, families named the 70 schools in Oldham first 2,348 times for 2,393 places: 0.98 first choices per place, against 0.99 across the Oldham authority's 77 schools. 18 of the 70 had more first choices than places. For 2026 entry, 18 schools here gave their last places on distance, from 0.16 miles (Greenacres Primary Academy) to 2.07 miles (Holy Trinity CofE Dobcross Primary School).

For Year 7 places in September 2026, families named the 13 schools in Oldham first 3,132 times for 3,100 places: 1.01 first choices per place, against 1.01 across the Oldham authority's 14 schools. 4 of the 13 had more first choices than places. For 2026 entry, 3 schools here gave their last places on distance, from 0.20 miles (The Crompton House Church of England Academy) to 3.82 miles (Saddleworth School).

Totals for the schools listed on this page. Applications and offers on national offer day, DfE; last-offer distances as the council published them.

Reception places, September 2026

70 schools. 18 received more first preferences than they had places.

School	First preferences per place	Places	Cutoff distance
Fir Bank Primary SchoolOldham	1.66	29	0.453 miles 2026
Whitegate End Primary and Nursery SchoolOldham	1.52	25	0.622 miles 2026
Greenacres Primary AcademyOldham	1.52	29	0.161 miles 2026
Westwood AcademyOldham	1.47	30	0.173 miles 2026
St Anne's CofE Lydgate Primary SchoolOldham	1.46	28	0.625 miles 2026
Broadfield Primary SchoolOldham	1.38	42	0.172 miles 2026
Roundthorn Primary AcademyOldham	1.28	29	0.219 miles 2026
Holy Trinity CofE Dobcross Primary SchoolOldham	1.27	30	2.071 miles 2026
St Thomas' Leesfield CofE Primary SchoolOldham	1.24	29	0.744 miles 2026
Buckstones Primary SchoolOldham	1.23	30	0.387 miles 2026
Greenhill AcademyOldham	1.15	59	0.309 miles 2026
Crompton Primary SchoolOldham	1.14	29	0.886 miles 2026
Coppice Primary AcademyOldham	1.10	59	0.184 miles 2026
Lyndhurst Primary and Nursery SchoolOldham	1.05	57	0.356 miles 2026
St Matthew's CofE Primary SchoolOldham	1.05	59	1.893 miles 2026
Burnley Brow Community SchoolOldham	1.03	60	0.586 miles 2026
Greenfield Primary SchoolOldham	1.03	60	not published
Thorp Primary SchoolOldham	1.03	30	not published
Holy Family RC Primary SchoolOldham	1.00	4	not published
St Agnes CofE Primary SchoolOldham	1.00	15	0.893 miles 2026
St Martin's CofE Junior Infant and Nursery SchoolOldham	1.00	23	0.389 miles 2024
St Patrick's RC Primary School, a Voluntary AcademyOldham	1.00	6	not published
Willowpark Primary AcademyOldham	1.00	23	not published
Woodlands Primary AcademyOldham	1.00	21	not published
Freehold Community AcademyOldham	0.98	53	not published
Holy Cross Ceva Primary SchoolOldham	0.98	52	not published
Hodge Clough Primary SchoolOldham	0.98	46	0.739 miles 2023
Christ Church CofE Primary SchoolOldham	0.97	37	not published
Bare Trees Primary SchoolOldham	0.97	66	not published
Oasis Academy ClarksfieldOldham	0.97	59	not published
St Thomas CofE Primary SchoolOldham	0.96	51	0.771 miles 2025
Holy Rosary RC Primary School, a Voluntary AcademyOldham	0.96	23	0.412 miles 2025
Mayfield Primary SchoolOldham	0.96	46	not published
Oasis Academy LimesideOldham	0.95	42	not published
Limehurst Community Primary SchoolOldham	0.94	34	not published
St Margaret's CofE Junior Infant and Nursery SchoolOldham	0.94	34	not published
Horton Mill Community Primary SchoolOldham	0.93	30	0.433 miles 2025
St Hilda's CofE Primary SchoolOldham	0.93	15	not published
St Thomas Moorside CofE (VA) Primary SchoolOldham	0.92	13	not published
Mills Hill Primary SchoolOldham	0.92	85	not published
Diggle SchoolOldham	0.90	30	not published
St Herbert's RC Primary School, a Voluntary AcademyOldham	0.90	39	not published
Beal Vale Primary SchoolOldham	0.89	28	1.767 miles 2026
Richmond AcademyOldham	0.89	27	not published
Yew Tree Community SchoolOldham	0.88	67	not published
Hey-with-Zion Primary SchoolOldham	0.87	39	0.953 miles 2025
Higher Failsworth Primary SchoolOldham	0.87	31	not published
St Chad's Church of England Primary SchoolOldham	0.87	30	not published
Stanley Road Primary SchoolOldham	0.86	58	not published
East Crompton St James CofE Primary SchoolOldham	0.86	14	not published
St Edwards Roman Catholic Primary, a Voluntary AcademyOldham	0.86	28	not published
Springhead Infant and Nursery SchoolOldham	0.84	44	not published
Beever Primary SchoolOldham	0.84	25	not published
Northmoor AcademyOldham	0.84	31	not published
Christ Church CofE Primary SchoolOldham	0.83	6	not published
Greenfield St Mary's CofE SchoolOldham	0.83	12	not published
Alt AcademyOldham	0.82	45	not published
St. Paul's CofE Primary SchoolOldham	0.82	22	not published
St Luke's CofE Primary SchoolOldham	0.81	27	not published
Medlock Valley Primary SchoolOldham	0.77	44	not published
Littlemoor Primary SchoolOldham	0.77	39	not published
Blackshaw Lane Primary & Nursery SchoolOldham	0.76	17	not published
Royton Hall Primary SchoolOldham	0.76	38	not published
Friezland Primary SchoolOldham	0.75	12	1.131 miles 2022
Thornham St. James CofE Primary SchoolOldham	0.73	30	not published
Delph Primary SchoolOldham	0.72	29	not published
Werneth Primary SchoolOldham	0.69	48	not published
Rushcroft Primary SchoolOldham	0.68	22	not published
East Crompton St George's CofE SchoolOldham	0.60	5	not published
St Hugh's CofE Primary SchoolOldham	0.57	14	not published

First preferences per place is the number of families naming the school first, divided by its published admission number. Above 1.00 means more first choices than places. It is not a ranking and not a measure of quality: a popular school can be easy to get into and a quiet one hard, because places are allocated by each school's own criteria, siblings and faith and banding first, with distance often the last tie-breaker. Applications and offers on national offer day, DfE.

Year 7 places, September 2026

13 schools. 4 received more first preferences than they had places.

School	First preferences per place	Places	Cutoff distance
The Blue Coat CofE SchoolOldham	2.63	232	not published
The Brian Clarke Church of England AcademyOldham	2.04	224	not published
The Crompton House Church of England AcademyOldham	1.12	296	0.197 miles 2026
North Chadderton SchoolOldham	1.10	262	2.091 miles 2025
Saddleworth SchoolOldham	0.91	293	3.824 miles 2026
The Hathershaw CollegeOldham	0.83	200	0.919 miles 2026
Co-op Academy StrinesdaleOldham	0.73	83	not published
Saint John Henry Newman Roman Catholic College, A Voluntary AcademyOldham	0.70	265	not published
Oasis Academy OldhamOldham	0.69	248	not published
E-ACT Royton and Crompton AcademyOldham	0.69	221	not published
The Radclyffe SchoolOldham	0.67	292	0.876 miles 2022
Oasis Academy LeesbrookOldham	0.62	252	not published
E-ACT the Oldham Academy NorthOldham	0.36	232	not published