St Cuthbert's Roman Catholic High School, a Voluntary Academy is a mainstream secondary school in Rochdale for children and young people aged 11 to 16. In January 2026, 175 of its 1,023 pupils (17.1%) were getting SEN support and 41 (4%) had an EHC plan.
- Ages 11–16
- 1,023 pupils
- Ofsted: Requires improvement
Special educational needs here
From the school census, January 2026. Compared with state secondary schools across England and in Rochdale.
17.1% get SEN support
175 of 1,023 pupils. Help in school without an EHC plan.
About the same as the England average.
4% have an EHC plan
41 of 1,023 pupils. A legal plan from the council, for children who need more help.
About the same as the England average.
Most common needs
- Social, emotional and mental health60
- Speech, language and communication53
- Autism22
- Specific learning difficulty, such as dyslexia11
- Moderate learning difficulty8
Pupils by their main need, on SEN support or with an EHC plan. Needs with fewer than 5 pupils aren’t shown.
Figures show how many children the school supports, not how well. To see how it would support your child, talk to the SENCO and read its SEN information report on the school’s website.
School details
- Type
- Mainstream secondary school
- Run as
- Academy (sponsored)
- Ages
- 11 to 16
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 1,023 (places for 1,200)
- Headteacher
- Mrs Emma Keenan
- Part of
- St Teresa of Calcutta Catholic Academy Trust
- Faith
- Roman Catholic
- Free school meals
- 43.2% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Rochdale
- School reference (URN)
- 149873
How SEN support works
4 steps, from a first chat to an EHC plan
- Talk to the class teacher and the SENCO
If you’re worried about your child, ask for a meeting. Every school has a SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator). Your child doesn’t need a diagnosis to get help.
- SEN support
The school should work out what your child needs, agree a plan with you, put it in place and review it together, usually each term. This is called SEN support.
- An EHC needs assessment
If your child needs more help than the school can usually give, you or the school can ask Rochdale council for an EHC needs assessment. It can lead to an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, which the council must make sure is delivered.
- Free, independent advice
Your local SENDIASS can help at any stage, and can come to meetings with the school with you.
Questions to ask the SENCO
10 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them at the meeting.
Ofsted
Rated Requires improvement, March 2022
Rated Requires improvement at its last graded inspection, in March 2022.
- Quality of educationRequires improvement
- Behaviour and attitudesRequires improvement
- Personal developmentGood
- Leadership and managementRequires improvement
- SafeguardingEffective
Contact and getting there
Shaw Road, Thornham, Rochdale, OL16 4RX
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
Email me these details
The school’s details, its SEN figures and the questions to ask the SENCO, in your inbox.
Nearby
Specialist schools and SEN units
- Deeplish Primary Academy Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted: Good 1.3 miles
- Brookland School Independent · Ages 7–16 · Ofsted: Good 1.8 miles
- St. Paul's CofE Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted: Good 1.9 miles
- Supreme Start Ltd Independent · Ages 5–11 · Ofsted report card (2026) 2.0 miles
Other mainstream schools
- Holy Family Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Primary · Ages 3–11 · SEN support 17.1%, EHC plans 2.7% 0.6 miles
- Thornham St. James CofE Primary School Primary · Ages 4–11 · SEN support 15.2%, EHC plans 3% 0.7 miles
- St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone Primary · Ages 5–11 · SEN support 18.8%, EHC plans 6.3% 0.7 miles
Questions about St Cuthbert's Roman Catholic High School, a Voluntary Academy
How many pupils at St Cuthbert's Roman Catholic High School, a Voluntary Academy have special educational needs?
In the January 2026 school census, 175 of the 1,023 pupils (17.1%) were getting SEN support and 41 (4%) had an EHC plan. Across England’s state secondary schools it is 14.1% and 3.5%.
What are the most common needs at St Cuthbert's Roman Catholic High School, a Voluntary Academy?
Counting pupils on SEN support and with an EHC plan, the most common main needs are social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs (60 pupils), speech, language and communication needs (53 pupils) and autism (22 pupils).
Who do I talk to about my child’s needs at St Cuthbert's Roman Catholic High School, a Voluntary Academy?
The SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator). Every school has one, and every school must publish an SEN information report on its website explaining how it supports pupils with SEND.
How do I apply for a place at St Cuthbert's Roman Catholic High School, a Voluntary Academy?
Through Rochdale council’s school admissions, in the normal application round or during the year. If your child has an EHC plan, you don’t apply this way: you ask for the school to be named in the plan instead.
Can my child with an EHC plan go to St Cuthbert's Roman Catholic High School, a Voluntary Academy?
You can ask for St Cuthbert's Roman Catholic High School, a Voluntary Academy to be named in your child’s EHC plan. The council must consult the school and name it, unless it would be unsuitable for your child’s age, ability or needs, or would affect other children’s education or the efficient use of resources.
Does St Cuthbert's Roman Catholic High School, a Voluntary Academy have an SEN unit or resourced provision?
Not according to the Department for Education’s register of schools. The nearest mainstream school with one is Deeplish Primary Academy, about 1.3 miles away.
Where is St Cuthbert's Roman Catholic High School, a Voluntary Academy?
Shaw Road, Thornham, Rochdale, OL16 4RX, in Rochdale.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, SEN figures from DfE Special educational needs in England (the January school census), under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.