When should a child begin to train, and why the old fear was wrong
Most parents think lifting weights is dangerous for children. Twenty years of paediatric consensus disagree, and the reason has more to do with the nervous system than with muscle.
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Children in Rochdale
How children here are doing, from the 2-year check to the end of primary school, set against England as a whole.
Health and early years
At a glance
| Measure | Rochdale | England |
|---|---|---|
| Good level of development at the end of Reception 2024/25 lower | 61.0% | 68.3% |
| Phonics check met in Year 1 2024/25 lower | 75.0% | 79.8% |
| Reception children living with obesity 2024/25 higher | 12.7% | 10.5% |
| Year 6 children living with obesity 2024/25 higher | 25.2% | 22.2% |
| MMR first dose by age 2 2024/25 similar | 89.7% | 88.9% |
| MMR two doses by age 5 2024/25 higher | 86.4% | 83.7% |
| 5-year-olds with visible tooth decay 2023/24 higher | 31.8% | 22.4% |
| Babies breastfed at 6 to 8 weeks 2024/25 lower | 46.6% | 55.6% |
| Primary pupils persistently absent 2024/25 higher | 14.5% | 13.0% |
| Children in relative low-income families (under 16) 2024/25 higher | 32.0% | 19.8% |
“Higher” or “lower” means the difference from England is bigger than the margin of error; “similar” means it isn’t. These are figures for all children in the council area, not for any one school or child.
End of primary school
Year 6 reading, writing and maths
| Year | Rochdale | England |
|---|---|---|
| 2018/19 | 60% | 65% |
| 2021/22 | 57% | 59% |
| 2022/23 | 57% | 60% |
| 2023/24 | 57% | 61% |
| 2024/25 | 58% | 63% |
| 2025/26 | 58% | 63% |
Share of pupils in state-funded schools meeting the expected standard in all three. 2025/26 figures are provisional. There were no tests in 2019/20 or 2020/21.
Schools
Primary schools in Rochdale
69 schools
- Alice Ingham Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy Rochdale
- Alkrington Primary School Manchester
- All Saints Church of England Primary School Rochdale
- All Souls Church of England Primary School Heywood
- Ashfield Valley Primary School Rochdale
- Bamford Academy Manchester
- Belfield Community School Rochdale
- Boarshaw Community Primary School MANCHESTER
- Bowlee Park Community Primary School Manchester
- Brimrod Community Primary School Rochdale
- Broadfield Community Primary School Rochdale
- Caldershaw Primary School Rochdale
- Castleton Primary School Rochdale
- Crossgates Primary School Rochdale
- Deeplish Primary Academy Rochdale
- Elm Wood Primary School Manchester
- Greenbank Primary School Rochdale
- Hamer Community Primary School Rochdale
- Harwood Park Primary School Heywood
- Healey Foundation Primary School Rochdale
- Heap Bridge Village Primary School Bury
- Heybrook Primary School Rochdale
- Hollin Primary School Manchester
- Holy Family Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Rochdale
- Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School Littleborough
- Hopwood Community Primary School Heywood
- Kentmere Primary Academy Rochdale
- Little Heaton Church of England Primary School Manchester
- Littleborough Community Primary School Littleborough
- Lowerplace Primary School Rochdale
- Marland Hill Community Primary School Rochdale
- Meanwood Community Nursery and Primary School Rochdale
- Middleton Parish Church School Manchester
- Milnrow Parish Church of England Primary School Rochdale
- Moorhouse Academy Rochdale
- Newhey Community Primary School Rochdale
- Norden Primary Academy Rochdale
- Our Lady & St Paul's RC Primary School, A Voluntary Academy Heywood
- Parkfield Primary School Manchester
- Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Rochdale
- Sandbrook Community Primary School Rochdale
- Shawclough Community Primary School Rochdale
- Smithy Bridge Foundation Primary School Littleborough
- Spotland Primary Academy Rochdale
- St Andrew's Church of England Primary School and Nursery Rochdale
- St Edward's Church of England Primary School Rochdale
- St Gabriel's Church of England Primary School Manchester
- St Gabriel's Roman Catholic Primary School, Rochdale Rochdale
- St James' Church of England Primary School Rochdale
- St John Fisher Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Manchester
- St John's Church of England Primary School, Thornham Slattocks
- St John's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Rochdale
- St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School Rochdale, a Voluntary Academy Heywood
- St Luke's Church of England Primary School Heywood
- St Margaret's Church of England Primary School Heywood
- St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone Rochdale
- St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Littleborough
- St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Middleton Manchester
- St Michael's Church of England Primary School, Alkrington Manchester
- St Michael's Church of England Primary School, Bamford Heywood
- St Patrick's Roman Catholic Primary School Rochdale
- St Peter's Church of England Primary School Rochdale
- St Peter's Roman Catholic Primary School, Rochdale Manchester
- St Thomas More Roman Catholic Primary School, Middleton, Rochdale Manchester
- St Thomas' Church of England Primary School Rochdale
- St Vincent's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Rochdale
- Stansfield Hall Church of England / Methodist Church Primary School Littleborough
- Whittaker Moss Primary School Rochdale
- Woodland Community Primary School Heywood