School admissions in Rochdale

How heavily each school was applied to for September 2026 entry, from the applications and offers every admissions authority reports to the DfE. 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.

Reception places, September 2026

68 schools. 17 received more first preferences than they had places.

School	First preferences per place	Places
Caldershaw Primary SchoolRochdale	2.47	30
Kentmere Primary AcademyRochdale	1.76	45
All Souls Church of England Primary SchoolHeywood	1.43	30
St Peter's Roman Catholic Primary School, RochdaleManchester	1.43	30
St Luke's Church of England Primary SchoolHeywood	1.41	59
Parkfield Primary SchoolManchester	1.34	29
Bowlee Park Community Primary SchoolManchester	1.29	119
St John Fisher Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary AcademyManchester	1.23	30
Alkrington Primary SchoolManchester	1.22	60
St Gabriel's Roman Catholic Primary School, RochdaleRochdale	1.17	30
Ashfield Valley Primary SchoolRochdale	1.13	30
Hopwood Community Primary SchoolHeywood	1.13	60
St Michael's Church of England Primary School, BamfordHeywood	1.13	31
Heap Bridge Village Primary SchoolBury	1.08	24
St Thomas' Church of England Primary SchoolRochdale	1.05	20
St Mary's Church of England Primary School, BalderstoneRochdale	1.03	30
Whittaker Moss Primary SchoolRochdale	1.02	58
All Saints Church of England Primary SchoolRochdale	1.00	27
Healey Foundation Primary SchoolRochdale	1.00	22
Holy Trinity Church of England Primary SchoolLittleborough	1.00	23
Littleborough Community Primary SchoolLittleborough	1.00	51
Moorhouse AcademyRochdale	1.00	22
Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary AcademyRochdale	1.00	30
St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, MiddletonManchester	0.98	60
St Peter's Church of England Primary SchoolRochdale	0.98	59
Greenbank Primary SchoolRochdale	0.98	58
Smithy Bridge Foundation Primary SchoolLittleborough	0.98	48
St Gabriel's Church of England Primary SchoolManchester	0.97	30
Belfield Community SchoolRochdale	0.96	53
St Patrick's Roman Catholic Primary SchoolRochdale	0.96	26
St James' Church of England Primary SchoolRochdale	0.96	24
St John's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary AcademyRochdale	0.96	24
St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary AcademyLittleborough	0.96	23
Crossgates Primary SchoolRochdale	0.95	42
Sandbrook Community Primary SchoolRochdale	0.95	60
Marland Hill Community Primary SchoolRochdale	0.94	53
Heybrook Primary SchoolRochdale	0.94	88
Milnrow Parish Church of England Primary SchoolRochdale	0.94	17
Broadfield Community Primary SchoolRochdale	0.93	44
Shawclough Community Primary SchoolRochdale	0.93	41
Deeplish Primary AcademyRochdale	0.92	52
Stansfield Hall Church of England / Methodist Church Primary SchoolLittleborough	0.92	13
St Thomas More Roman Catholic Primary School, Middleton, RochdaleManchester	0.92	38
Castleton Primary SchoolRochdale	0.92	37
Elm Wood Primary SchoolManchester	0.92	60
St Andrew's Church of England Primary School and NurseryRochdale	0.91	45
Lowerplace Primary SchoolRochdale	0.91	56
Newhey Community Primary SchoolRochdale	0.91	33
Holy Family Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary AcademyRochdale	0.90	30
Spotland Primary AcademyRochdale	0.88	42
St John's Church of England Primary School, ThornhamSlattocks	0.88	16
St Edward's Church of England Primary SchoolRochdale	0.85	47
St Vincent De Paul Roman Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary AcademyRochdale	0.84	38
Brimrod Community Primary SchoolRochdale	0.83	18
Our Lady & St Paul's RC Primary School, A Voluntary AcademyHeywood	0.81	21
Hamer Community Primary SchoolRochdale	0.80	41
Boarshaw Community Primary SchoolMANCHESTER	0.80	49
Harwood Park Primary SchoolHeywood	0.79	29
Hollin Primary SchoolManchester	0.78	59
Meanwood Community Nursery and Primary SchoolRochdale	0.76	45
St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School Rochdale, a Voluntary AcademyHeywood	0.75	57
St Michael's Church of England Primary School, AlkringtonManchester	0.74	27
Rhodes Green CE Primary SchoolManchester	0.70	27
Alice Ingham Roman Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary AcademyRochdale	0.67	12
Bamford AcademyManchester	0.65	40
Woodland Community Primary SchoolHeywood	0.65	60
Norden Primary AcademyRochdale	0.62	39
Middleton Parish Church SchoolManchester	0.60	52

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
Cardinal Langley Roman Catholic High SchoolManchester	1.37	201
Holy Family Roman Catholic and Church of England CollegeHeywood	1.27	142
St Anne's Church of England AcademyManchester	1.16	171
Hollingworth AcademyRochdale	1.06	262
Matthew Moss High SchoolRochdale	1.00	227
Falinge Park High SchoolRochdale	0.98	266
Wardle AcademyRochdale	0.98	264
Kingsway Park High SchoolRochdale	0.90	230
Oulder Hill Leadership AcademyRochdale	0.83	210
St Cuthbert's Roman Catholic High School, a Voluntary AcademyRochdale	0.81	127
Dixons Middleton AcademyManchester	0.73	237
Edgar Wood AcademyHeywood	0.68	76
Newhouse AcademyHeywood	0.63	207