School profile

Alder Community High School

Secondary · Community school · Hyde, SK14 5NJ

Requires improvement

Map showing Alder Community High School

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#2,112 of 3,312

Worse than 63% of schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

Alder Community High School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 16 Apr 2024

Ofsted rating
Requires improvement
Quality of education
Requires improvement
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeCommunity school
Ages11 to 16
Pupils912
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMrs Michelle Critchlow
Local authorityTameside
Opened01 Apr 2003
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 134283.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolTamesideEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.43.4, worse than England, similar to Tameside43.746.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.67.7%, similar to England, better than Tameside63.6%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.43.4%, similar to England, similar to Tameside43.3%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.12.6%, similar to England, better than Tameside10.4%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths58.6%, similar to England, similar to Tameside57.3%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4198--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils912
Girls489
Boys423
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.30.2%
First language not English8.7%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,039
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.12.2%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.166
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.47
Average class size27.6

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
80%
Bangladeshi
9.2%
Other mixed
2%
White and Black Caribbean
1.3%
White and Black African
1.3%
Other White
1.2%
White and Asian
1.1%
African
1%
Indian
0.7%
Pakistani
0.5%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher16.9
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.10.8
Teachers (FTE)54.1
Teaching assistants (FTE)21.12
Support staff (FTE)39.06
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2554.4
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2541.7
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/256
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/256.7

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day.172
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.410
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.221
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.169
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)11

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolTamesideEngland
Overall absence9.6%, worse than England, worse than Tameside8.6%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.26.3%, worse than England, worse than Tameside23.3%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.4.5%, worse than England, similar to Tameside4.3%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate74%
Pupils with one or more suspensions16.6%
Permanent exclusion rate0.9%
Permanent exclusions8

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.86.4%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.81.5%
Further education50%
Sixth form college31%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.10.3%
Employment3.8%
Apprenticeship1.1%
School sixth form0.5%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Alder Community High School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.3 miPrimaryGee Cross Holy Trinity CofE Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Unrated
0.5 miPrimaryDowson Primary AcademyAcademy converter
Good
0.6 miPrimaryEndeavour Primary AcademyAcademy converter
Good
0.6 miPrimaryGreenfield Primary AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.8 miPrimarySt George's CofE Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.8 miPrimaryGodley Community Primary AcademyAcademy converter
Good
0.9 miPrimaryDiscovery AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Good
1.2 miPrimarySt. Paul's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary AcademyAcademy converter
Good
1.3 miPrimaryPinfold Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.3 miPrimarySt James Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary AcademyAcademy converter
Good

Frequently asked questions about Alder Community High School

What is Alder Community High School's Ofsted rating?

Alder Community High School is rated Requires improvement by Ofsted, last inspected on 16 Apr 2024.

How does Alder Community High School rank in England?

Alder Community High School ranks 2,112 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 63% of schools).

What are Alder Community High School's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 43.4% of pupils at Alder Community High School got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 43.4 (England 46.2).

How hard is it to get into Alder Community High School?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Alder Community High School made 172 offers from 410 applications (2.4 per offer), and 169 of 221 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Alder Community High School?

Alder Community High School has 912 pupils aged 11 to 16.

What is the capacity of Alder Community High School?

Alder Community High School had 1,039 school places in 2024/25.

Does Alder Community High School have a sixth form?

No, Alder Community High School teaches pupils up to age 16.

How big are classes at Alder Community High School?

At Alder Community High School, the average class had 27.6 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 16.9 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Alder Community High School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Alder Community High School missed 9.6% of sessions (England 8%), and 26.3% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.