The Brian Clarke Church of England Academy
Bloom Street, Shaw, Oldham, OL9 6BP
- Phase
- Secondary
- School type
- Free schools
- Ages
- 11 to 16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Trust
- CRANMER EDUCATION TRUST
- Headteacher
- Ms Allison Ash
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Diocese
- Diocese of Manchester
- Sponsor
- Cranmer Education Trust
- Constituency
- Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 1,200
- Pupils on roll
- 950
- URN
- 149137
- Local authority
- Oldham
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01617855085
About this school
The Brian Clarke Church of England Academy is a Church of England secondary academy in Oldham. It teaches children aged 11 to 16 and has 950 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected The Brian Clarke Church of England Academy, and its latest judgement is set out below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Seeing a school for yourself shows what no page can, so arrange a visit before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Ofsted did not give an overall grade. Between September 2024 and September 2025 inspections graded each area of a school's work without a single overall judgement, ahead of the move to report cards. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Outstanding
- Personal development
- Outstanding
- Leadership and management
- Outstanding
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Trends over time
How The Brian Clarke Church of England Academy has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 4.2% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 4.7% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 4.7% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 241 |
| 2023/24 | 480 |
| 2024/25 | 719 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How The Brian Clarke Church of England Academy compares
Its absence rate was lower than 66% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | Attainment 8 (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | — | 4.7% | 41.5% | 950 | — |
| The Blue Coat CofE School | 59.1 | 4.8% | 17% | 1,702 | 0.7 miles |
| Saint John Henry Newman Roman Catholic College, A Voluntary Academy | — | — | — | 1,469 | 1.3 miles |
| E-ACT the Oldham Academy North | 48.2 | 6.3% | 49.3% | 1,258 | 1.3 miles |
| Oasis Academy Oldham | 42.8 | 9.3% | 54.6% | 1,415 | 1.3 miles |
| The Radclyffe School | — | — | — | 1,430 | 1.3 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 41.45%
- English as an additional language
- 33.7%
- Overall absence
- 4.73%
- Persistent absence
- 10.4%
Location
Nearby schools
-
The Blue Coat CofE School0.7 miles
Secondary · Oldham
-
Saint John Henry Newman Roman Catholic College, A Voluntary Academy1.3 miles
Secondary · Oldham
-
E-ACT the Oldham Academy North1.3 miles
Secondary · Oldham
-
Oasis Academy Oldham1.3 miles
Secondary · Oldham
-
The Radclyffe School1.3 miles
Secondary · Oldham
Other schools in Oldham
- E-ACT Royton and Crompton Academy Secondary
- E-ACT the Oldham Academy North Secondary
- North Chadderton School Secondary
- Oasis Academy Leesbrook Secondary
- Oasis Academy Oldham Secondary
- Saddleworth School Secondary
- Saint John Henry Newman Roman Catholic College, A Voluntary Academy Secondary
- The Blue Coat CofE School Secondary
- The Crompton House Church of England Academy Secondary
- The Hathershaw College Secondary
- The Radclyffe School Secondary
- Waterhead Academy Secondary
Common questions
- What ages does The Brian Clarke Church of England Academy teach?
- The Brian Clarke Church of England Academy teaches children aged 11 to 16. It is a secondary school in Oldham.
- Who is the headteacher of The Brian Clarke Church of England Academy?
- The headteacher of The Brian Clarke Church of England Academy is Ms Allison Ash, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has The Brian Clarke Church of England Academy been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected The Brian Clarke Church of England Academy, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How many pupils are at The Brian Clarke Church of England Academy?
- The Brian Clarke Church of England Academy has 950 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 11 to 16.
- Is The Brian Clarke Church of England Academy full?
- The Brian Clarke Church of England Academy has capacity for 1,200 pupils and 950 on roll (79%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is The Brian Clarke Church of England Academy a faith school?
- Yes. The Brian Clarke Church of England Academy is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Manchester.
- Is The Brian Clarke Church of England Academy a selective school?
- No. The Brian Clarke Church of England Academy is recorded as non-selective in the schools register.
- Is The Brian Clarke Church of England Academy part of an academy trust?
- The Brian Clarke Church of England Academy is part of CRANMER EDUCATION TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- What is The Brian Clarke Church of England Academy's absence rate?
- The Brian Clarke Church of England Academy's overall absence rate is 4.7% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- Does The Brian Clarke Church of England Academy publish exam results?
- OfferDay shows exam results for a school only where the Department for Education has published them, and none are shown for The Brian Clarke Church of England Academy. That is usual for infant, nursery, special and independent schools, and for schools without recent published results.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 10 July 2026.