Best secondary schools in Rotherham
14 of 16 secondary schools ranked by Progress 8 · all Rotherham schools · primary schools
Ranked on Progress 8, 2023/24 — the most recent year each school has published. Official data, not our opinion — but the ranking is only as good as the measure, and a single number never describes a school. We hold real catchment boundaries for 14 of them.
- 12 of 16 rated Good or Outstanding
- 2 oversubscribed on first preference
- 8 Good or better and undersubscribed — the overlooked ones
- Median Progress 8: -0.12 (best 0.42)
| # | School | Progress 8 | Ofsted | Places | Catchment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wingfield Academy Rotherham | 0.42 | Good | about even 1.07 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | mapped |
| 2 | St Bernard's Catholic High School Rotherham | 0.32 | Good | oversubscribed 1.74 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | approximate |
| 3 | Wath Academy Rotherham | 0.1 | Good | oversubscribed 1.49 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | mapped |
| 4 | Wickersley School and Sports College Rotherham hidden gem | 0.02 | Good | about even 0.99 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | mapped |
| 5 | Winterhill School Rotherham hidden gem | -0.05 | Good | about even 0.9 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | mapped |
| 6 | Wales High School Sheffield hidden gem | -0.06 | Good improving | about even 0.98 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | mapped |
| 7 | Oakwood High School Rotherham | -0.12 | Good | about even 1.05 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | mapped |
| 8 | Maltby Academy Rotherham hidden gem | -0.13 | Good | about even 0.95 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | mapped |
| 9 | Swinton Academy Mexborough hidden gem | -0.21 | Good improving | about even 0.89 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | mapped |
| 10 | Brinsworth Academy Rotherham hidden gem | -0.22 | Good | about even 0.91 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | mapped |
| 11 | Aston Academy Sheffield | -0.29 | Requires improvement | about even 0.95 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | mapped |
| 12 | Rawmarsh Community School Rotherham hidden gem | -0.43 | Good | about even 0.86 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | mapped |
| 13 | Clifton Community School Rotherham hidden gem | -0.44 | Good | undersubscribed 0.68 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | mapped |
| 14 | Thrybergh Academy Rotherham | -0.67 | Requires improvement | undersubscribed 0.77 first prefs per place, 2026/27 | mapped |
Also in Rotherham
2 further secondary schools with no published Progress 8 for the latest year — usually too small a cohort to report, newly opened, or a special school. Listed because leaving them out would make this a misleading picture of Rotherham, not a fairer one.
- Dinnington High School Ofsted: Requires improvement
- Saint Pius X Catholic High School A Specialist School in Humanities Ofsted: Requires improvement
Applying in Rotherham
Knowing which school is best is only half of it — these are the deadlines that decide whether you can apply at all.
- Secondary application deadline 2026-10-31 · 2027 entry Secondary Common Application Form (CAF) deadline for September 2027 entry (Year 7). National statutory deadline 31 October 2026; apply via your home local authority. Selective/grammar registration, if any, is a separate earlier deadline.
- Primary (Reception) application deadline 2027-01-15 · 2027 entry Primary (Reception) application deadline for September 2027 entry. National statutory deadline 15 January 2027; apply via your home local authority.
- Secondary National Offer Day 2027-03-01 · 2027 entry Secondary National Offer Day for September 2027 entry — state school Year 7 place offers (1 March).
- Primary National Offer Day 2027-04-16 · 2027 entry Primary National Offer Day for September 2027 entry — Reception place offers (16 April).
- Secondary application deadline 2027-10-31 · 2028 entry Secondary Common Application Form (CAF) deadline for September 2028 entry (Year 7). National statutory deadline 31 October 2027; apply via your home local authority. Selective/grammar registration, if any, is a separate earlier deadline.
- Primary (Reception) application deadline 2028-01-15 · 2028 entry Primary (Reception) application deadline for September 2028 entry. National statutory deadline 15 January 2028; apply via your home local authority.
Rankings compare published results. They do not tell you which school your child will get into — that depends on where you live, sibling and faith priority, and how many people apply this year. Ask below, or check the Rotherham admission criteria.
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