School profile

Sandymoor Ormiston Academy

Secondary · Free schools · Runcorn, WA7 1QU

Good

Map showing Sandymoor Ormiston Academy

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

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#2,150 of 3,312

Worse than 64% of schools in England

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

Sandymoor Ormiston Academy Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 17 Apr 2024

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

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeFree schools
Ages11 to 18
Pupils631
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMs Linsey Hand
TrustORMISTON ACADEMIES TRUST
Local authorityHalton
Opened01 Dec 2019
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 147683.

GCSE results

2025/26

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

MeasureThis schoolHaltonEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.43.2, worse than England, better than Halton39.746.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.56.6%, worse than England, similar to Halton54.5%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.36.9%, worse than England, similar to Halton35.3%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.11.5%, worse than England, better than Halton7.2%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths56.6%, worse than England, better than Halton48.9%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4122--

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 pupils631
Girls314
Boys317
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.29.3%
First language not English4.6%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.786
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.19.7%
Sixth form places2022/23300
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.81
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.26
Average class size24.3

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
85.4%
Other White
3.6%
Other mixed
2.1%
White and Black Caribbean
1.3%
White and Black African
1.3%
Other ethnic group
1.3%
White and Asian
0.8%
African
0.6%
Irish
0.5%
Other Black
0.3%

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 teacher16.5
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.10.7
Teachers (FTE)38.17
Teaching assistants (FTE)12.76
Support staff (FTE)34.61
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2539
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2536
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/251
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/252

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.148
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.312
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.158
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.147
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)2

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 schoolHaltonEngland
Overall absence9%, worse than England, better than Halton9.7%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.23.9%, worse than England, better than Halton26.6%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.4.6%, worse than England, similar to Halton4.8%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 rate12.5%
Pupils with one or more suspensions5.5%
Permanent exclusion rate0%
Permanent exclusions0

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.94%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.82.8%
Further education48.3%
Sixth form college28.4%
School sixth form6%
Apprenticeship6%
Employment5.2%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.2.6%

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 Sandymoor Ormiston Academy
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.7 miPrimaryWindmill Hill Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.9 miPrimaryDaresbury Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.0 miPrimaryMoore Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
1.1 miPrimarySt Berteline's CofE Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.4 miPrimarySt Martin's Catholic Primary School and PreschoolVoluntary aided school
Good
1.4 miPrimaryGorsewood Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
1.4 miPrimaryBridgewater Park Primary SchoolAcademy sponsor led
Requires improvement
1.5 miPrimarySt Augustine's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Good
1.5 miPrimaryMurdishaw West Primary and Nursery SchoolCommunity school
Good
1.6 miPrimaryAstmoor Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good

Frequently asked questions about Sandymoor Ormiston Academy

What is Sandymoor Ormiston Academy's Ofsted rating?

Sandymoor Ormiston Academy is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 17 Apr 2024.

How does Sandymoor Ormiston Academy rank in England?

Sandymoor Ormiston Academy ranks 2,150 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 64% of schools).

What are Sandymoor Ormiston Academy's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 36.9% of pupils at Sandymoor Ormiston Academy got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 43.2 (England 46.2).

How hard is it to get into Sandymoor Ormiston Academy?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Sandymoor Ormiston Academy made 148 offers from 312 applications (2.1 per offer), and 147 of 158 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Sandymoor Ormiston Academy?

Sandymoor Ormiston Academy has 631 pupils aged 11 to 18.

What is the capacity of Sandymoor Ormiston Academy?

Sandymoor Ormiston Academy had 786 school places in 2024/25.

Does Sandymoor Ormiston Academy have a sixth form?

Yes, Sandymoor Ormiston Academy has a sixth form with 300 places in 2022/23.

How big are classes at Sandymoor Ormiston Academy?

At Sandymoor Ormiston Academy, the average class had 24.3 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 16.5 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Sandymoor Ormiston Academy?

In 2025/26, pupils at Sandymoor Ormiston Academy missed 9% of sessions (England 8%), and 23.9% 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.