Rotherham’s best secondary schools 2025

Trying to find the right school for your child in Rotherham? You’re in the right place.

With so many options, many parents find themselves drowning in league tables and Ofsted reports. That’s exactly why we’ve done the heavy lifting for you. Our expert team has analysed the latest 2023/2024 Department for Education data to bring you a list of the top-performing state secondary schools in Rotherham.

We show two ranking tables, one for Progress 8 and one for GCSE 9–7 results, and also provide a complete list of all secondary schools in Rotherham. This full list includes Progress 8 scores, GCSE 9–7 percentages, and Ofsted ratings where available. The schools in this table are ordered alphabetically rather than ranked, so you can easily see every school in one place, even if some data points are missing.

Top secondary schools in Rotherham by Progress 8

Wingfield Academy in Rotherham is currently ranked #1 in Rotherham based on its published Progress 8 score of +0.42. Progress 8 is a headline accountability measure used by the Department for Education to show how much progress pupils make between the end of primary school and their GCSEs, compared to students with similar prior attainment nationally.

RankSchool nameTypeGenderProgress 8Ofsted ratingGCSE 9-7%
1Wingfield AcademyAcademy converterMixed+0.42Good12.8%
2St Bernard's Catholic High SchoolAcademy converterMixed+0.32Good19.83%
3Wath AcademyAcademy sponsor ledMixed+0.1Good24.94%
4Wickersley School and Sports CollegeAcademy converterMixed+0.02Good18.35%
5Winterhill SchoolAcademy converterMixed-0.05Good9.97%
6Wales High SchoolAcademy converterMixed-0.06Good16.4%
7Oakwood High SchoolAcademy converterMixed-0.12Good17.78%
8Maltby AcademyAcademy sponsor ledMixed-0.13Good15.02%
9Brinsworth AcademyAcademy converterMixed-0.22Good12.59%
10Aston AcademyAcademy converterMixed-0.29Requires improvement11.8%
11Dinnington High SchoolAcademy converterMixed-0.31-6.55%
12Saint Pius X Catholic High School A Specialist School in HumanitiesVoluntary aided schoolMixed-0.34Requires improvement16.31%
13Rawmarsh Community SchoolAcademy sponsor ledMixed-0.43Good6.57%
14Clifton Community SchoolAcademy sponsor ledMixed-0.44Good4.02%
15Thrybergh AcademyAcademy converterMixed-0.67Requires improvement0.66%
16Abbey SchoolAcademy special sponsor ledMixed-0.97Outstanding0%
17Newman SchoolCommunity special schoolMixed-2.18-0%
18Elements AcademyFree schools specialMixed-2.53-2.33%

Note: Rankings use 2023/2024 CSP data for state-funded schools and may not reflect recent changes, check school websites for the latest information.

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Top secondary schools in Rotherham by GCSE % 9–7

Wath Academy in Wath-on-Dearne is currently ranked #1 in Rotherham based on the percentage of GCSE grades awarded at 9–7. This measure highlights how many pupils achieve the very top exam results, giving a clear picture of each school’s academic excellence.

RankSchool nameTypeGenderProgress 8Ofsted ratingGCSE 9-7%
1Wath AcademyAcademy sponsor ledMixed+0.1Good24.94%
2St Bernard's Catholic High SchoolAcademy converterMixed+0.32Good19.83%
3Wickersley School and Sports CollegeAcademy converterMixed+0.02Good18.35%
4Oakwood High SchoolAcademy converterMixed-0.12Good17.78%
5Wales High SchoolAcademy converterMixed-0.06Good16.4%
6Saint Pius X Catholic High School A Specialist School in HumanitiesVoluntary aided schoolMixed-0.34Requires improvement16.31%
7Maltby AcademyAcademy sponsor ledMixed-0.13Good15.02%
8Wingfield AcademyAcademy converterMixed+0.42Good12.8%
9Brinsworth AcademyAcademy converterMixed-0.22Good12.59%
10Aston AcademyAcademy converterMixed-0.29Requires improvement11.8%
11Winterhill SchoolAcademy converterMixed-0.05Good9.97%
12Rawmarsh Community SchoolAcademy sponsor ledMixed-0.43Good6.57%
13Dinnington High SchoolAcademy converterMixed-0.31-6.55%
14Clifton Community SchoolAcademy sponsor ledMixed-0.44Good4.02%
15Elements AcademyFree schools specialMixed-2.53-2.33%
16Thrybergh AcademyAcademy converterMixed-0.67Requires improvement0.66%
17Abbey SchoolAcademy special sponsor ledMixed-0.97Outstanding0%
18Abbeywood SchoolOther independent special schoolMixed--0%
19Newman SchoolCommunity special schoolMixed-2.18-0%

Note: Rankings use 2023/2024 CSP data for state-funded schools and may not reflect recent changes, check school websites for the latest information.

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All secondary schools in Rotherham

Below is the complete list of secondary schools in Rotherham, including both state-funded and independent schools where data is available. This table provides an at-a-glance view of each school’s key performance metrics, including Progress 8 scores, the percentage of GCSE grades awarded at 9–7, and Ofsted ratings, where published.

School nameTypeGenderProgress 8Ofsted ratingGCSE 9-7%
Abbey SchoolAcademy special sponsor ledMixed-0.97Outstanding0%
Abbeywood SchoolOther independent special schoolMixed--0%
Aston AcademyAcademy converterMixed-0.29Requires improvement11.8%
Brinsworth AcademyAcademy converterMixed-0.22Good12.59%
Clifton Community SchoolAcademy sponsor ledMixed-0.44Good4.02%
Dinnington High SchoolAcademy converterMixed-0.31-6.55%
Elements AcademyFree schools specialMixed-2.53-2.33%
Ellern Mede Moorgate SchoolOther independent schoolMixed---
Hilltop SchoolAcademy special converterMixed-Good-
Kelford SchoolAcademy special converterMixed-Good-
Maltby AcademyAcademy sponsor ledMixed-0.13Good15.02%
Newman SchoolAcademy special sponsor ledMixed-Requires improvement-
Newman SchoolCommunity special schoolMixed-2.18-0%
Oakwood High SchoolAcademy converterMixed-0.12Good17.78%
Rawmarsh Community SchoolAcademy sponsor ledMixed-0.43Good6.57%
Saint Pius X Catholic High School A Specialist School in HumanitiesVoluntary aided schoolMixed-0.34Requires improvement16.31%
St Bernard's Catholic High SchoolAcademy converterMixed+0.32Good19.83%
The Willows SchoolAcademy special converterMixed-Good-
Thrybergh AcademyAcademy converterMixed-0.67Requires improvement0.66%
Wales High SchoolAcademy converterMixed-0.06Good16.4%
Wath AcademyAcademy sponsor ledMixed+0.1Good24.94%
Wickersley School and Sports CollegeAcademy converterMixed+0.02Good18.35%
Wingfield AcademyAcademy converterMixed+0.42Good12.8%
Winterhill SchoolAcademy converterMixed-0.05Good9.97%

Source

Disclaimer

All data on this page is sourced from the Department for Education’s 2023/2024 Compare School Performance dataset. It includes state-funded and, where available, independent secondary schools. Some schools may be missing data for Progress 8 scores, GCSE 9–7 results, or Ofsted ratings due to unpublished or unavailable figures. Rankings are based only on schools with published data and may not reflect recent changes. Please check school websites for the latest information.

How we ranked the best schools in Rotherham?

Why trust our rankings? Our analysis is based on the latest 2023/2024 data from the Department for Education’s Compare School Performance (CSP) database, which publishes official performance data for all secondary schools in England, including both state-funded and independent schools where available.

We’ve created separate tables to highlight top performers in three key areas:

  • Progress 8 (pupil progress from KS2 to GCSE)
  • GCSE 9–7 grades (academic excellence)
  • Overall school listings, with available Ofsted ratings

Schools are primarily ranked by their Progress 8 score. This clever metric doesn’t just reward schools with high-attaining intakes – it highlights the ones that genuinely support student growth by measuring progress from the end of primary school to GCSEs. It adjusts for prior attainment, making it one of the fairest ways to compare schools.

Where available, we also show the percentage of GCSE grades at 9–7 to reflect high academic achievement, and Ofsted ratings for added context. All figures come directly from CSP’s official dataset.

Where Progress 8 data is not available for any schools in Rotherham, the corresponding table will not be shown. This simply means that no schools in this area had published Progress 8 scores at the time of the latest dataset, it does not reflect on the quality of the schools themselves.

How to support your child at home

Helping your child succeed at school doesn’t just happen in the classroom, the right support at home can make a big difference. Encourage a regular study routine, provide a quiet space for learning, and take an interest in what they’re covering in lessons. Even small actions, like checking in on homework or discussing what they learned that day, can build motivation and accountability.

If you’re looking for extra structure, our GCSE Revision Resources are designed to make studying easier. With expert-written notes, topic-by-topic exam questions, and mark schemes, your child can practise exactly what they need to know, when they need to know it.

Boosting confidence before exams

Confidence can make a huge difference to exam performance. Start by helping your child identify their strengths and weaknesses, then focus revision time on areas that need improvement. Practising under timed conditions can reduce exam-day nerves, while celebrating small wins along the way builds self-belief.

Our GCSE Exam Practice pages include hundreds of past-paper style questions and worked solutions, so students can walk into their exams knowing exactly what to expect. By building familiarity with the question styles and formats, they’ll feel prepared and ready to perform at their best.

Explore the best secondary schools in other areas

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FAQs - best secondary schools in Rotherham

Based on the latest Department for Education CSP data, the highest-rated secondary school in Rotherham is Wingfield Academy by Progress 8 and Wath Academy by GCSE 9–7 results. In the case of an exact tie across these measures, the first school in alphabetical order is shown here. For full details and to compare all schools, please refer to the performance tables above.
No. This guide covers state-funded secondary schools only, including grammar, comprehensive, academy, and free schools. Independent/private schools are not included in our rankings.
Applications are usually managed by Rotherham local authority. You can find deadlines, admissions policies, and catchment area maps on the council’s official website.
Use Ofsted inspection reports, the Department for Education’s CSP performance tables, and our rankings to compare schools side by side. Visit schools during open days for first-hand impressions.
A Progress 8 score above 0 means students make better progress than the national average. Scores above +0.5 indicate well above average progress, while top-performing secondary schools typically achieve +0.7 or higher. The best schools in Rotherham consistently score above +0.8.

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