Secondary school

Bolton St Catherine's Academy

  • Academy Converter
  • ages 3–16
  • Mixed
  • Church of England
  • Bolton
  • BL2 4HU
  • Not applicable
Ofsted areas (no overall grade) · inspected Mar 2025

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Results · 2024/25

Ranked 3,110 of 3,280 secondaries in England · top 95%

Top % in England, by year
2015/16: top 98%98%2016/17: top 95%2017/18: top 93%93% · 2017/182018/19: top 100%2021/22: top 96%2022/23: top 94%2023/24: top 93%2024/25: top 95%No exams

Against North West

Attainment 834.3 · North West 44.41/10 Well below North West
Grade 5+ English and maths18.8% · North West 40%1/10 Well below North West−15 pts since 21/22
EBacc point score2.89 · North West 3.821/10 Well below North West
Progress 8 · 2023/24-0.71 · North West −0.162/10 Well below North West+12 pts since 18/19
A level points per entry · 2018/1927.14 · North West 31.6Small cohort: 8 pupils in 2018/19 (under 30)
Show exam results by year

No exams 2019/20–21

Attainment 8
2015/16: 37.5 · 130 pupils · North West 49.62016/17: 35.4 · 133 pupils · North West 45.42017/18: 36 · 141 pupils · North West 45.052018/19: 29.9 · 129 pupils · North West 45.12021/22: 36.1 · 135 pupils · North West 46.92022/23: 34.5 · 148 pupils · North West 44.32023/24: 35 · 140 pupils · North West 442024/25: 34.3 · 138 pupils · North West 44.437.529.9No exams
Grade 5+ English and maths
2016/17: 15% · 133 pupils · North West 37%2017/18: 19% · 141 pupils · North West 38%2018/19: 15% · 129 pupils · North West 38%2021/22: 32% · 135 pupils · North West 45%2022/23: 27% · 148 pupils · North West 39%2023/24: 25.7% · 140 pupils · North West 39.7%2024/25: 18.8% · 138 pupils · North West 40%32%15%No exams
A level points per entry
2015/16: 17.27 · 28 pupils · North West 28.42016/17: 15.88 · 32 pupils · North West 29.242017/18: 20.44 · 11 pupils · North West 30.22018/19: 27.14 · 8 pupils · North West 31.627.1415.88No exams

Not published 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25

Getting in · 2026

Reception

First-choice families who got in100%
18 of 18 who put it first2014 · 100.0%2026 · 100.0%
By preference
ChoiceAppliedOffered
1st1818
2nd10
3rd41

Year 7

First-choice families who got in100.0%
109 of 109 who put it first2014 · 99.2%2026 · 100.0%
By preference
ChoiceAppliedOffered
1st109109
2nd245
3rd291

Last distance offered: London only

Inspections · 2007–2025

  • Personal developmentGood
  • Quality of educationRequires improvement
  • Behaviour and attitudesGood
  • Early years provisionGood
  • Leadership and managementGood
  • SafeguardingEffective
  1. 2007Satisfactoryas predecessor
  2. 2007Goodas predecessor
  3. 2012Satisfactoryas predecessor
  4. 2014Requires improvementas predecessor
  5. 2016Requires improvementas predecessor
  6. 2017Ungraded visitas predecessor
  7. 2022Requires improvement
  8. 2025Lowest Requires improvement

Pupils · 2024/25

On roll · Jan 20261,003
Free school meals (past 6 years)53.7%
First language not English20.8%
SEN support22.4%
EHC plan5.4%
Absence (sessions missed)9.1%
Persistently absent pupils24.0%

Girls 49.9%Boys 50.1%

88.8% full · 1,130 places · 77 in sixth form (2018/19)

Parent View

Earlier survey (before Nov 2025) · as at 1 Sep 2025 · 114 responses (11.2% of pupils)

  • My child is happy at this school71% agree
  • My child feels safe at this school68.4% agree
  • The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved63.2% agree
  • My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively · 50% not applicable45.6% agree
  • The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year64% agree
  • When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly · 15.8% not applicable60.4% agree
  • Does your child have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)?40.4% yes
  • My child has SEND, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed · asked only of the 40.4% who said Yes above63% agree
  • The school has high expectations for my child74.6% agree
  • My child does well at this school74.6% agree
  • The school lets me know how my child is doing70.2% agree
  • There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school82.5% agree
  • My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school90.3% agree
  • The school supports my child's wider personal development56.1% agree
  • I would recommend this school to another parent63.2% yes

Workforce · 2025/26

Pupils per teacher15.8
Pupils per adult10.1
  • Classroom teachers 53.3
  • Leadership 9.8
  • Teaching assistants 25
  • Other support 34.5

Teachers 63.1 FTE · Whole workforce 122.7 · 143 people

Financials · 2024/25

Income per pupil£9,441
Spend per pupil£8,829
Staff spend per pupil£6,871
Reserve per pupil£582
  • +£595,000revenue reserve
  • +£626,000in-year balance

Grants £9,272 · self-generated £354 · premises £413 per pupil

Multi-academy trust: THE BISHOP FRASER TRUST (5 academies) · trust reserve £4,388,000 · Reserves in a multi-academy trust belong to the trust; this academy's figures include the share of central costs the trust gives it

Destinations · 2023/24 leavers

After Year 11

140 students, followed through 2024/25 · Provisional

  • Sustained74.3%
  • Education67.9%
  • Apprenticeship3.6%
  • Employment2.9%
  • Not sustained17.1%
  • Unknown8.6%