Smithills School vs Thornleigh Salesian College
Side-by-side comparison of key school data
Smithills School
Bolton
Overview
Phase
Secondary
Secondary
Type
Academy converter
Voluntary aided school
Age Range
11–16
11–18
Gender
Mixed
Mixed
Religious Character
Does not apply
Roman Catholic
Admissions
Non-selective
Non-selective
Local Authority
Bolton
Bolton
Pupils & Capacity
Pupils
1203
1574
Capacity
1250
1650
Occupancy
96%
95%
FSM %
41.8%
29.4%
Nursery
Sixth Form
Boarding
Ofsted
Overall Rating
-
-
Quality of Education
Inadequate
Requires Improvement
Behaviour & Attitudes
Requires Improvement
Good
Personal Development
Inadequate
Good
Leadership & Management
Inadequate
Requires Improvement
Last Inspected
Mar 2026
Oct 2024
Performance (2026)
Progress 8
-
-
Attainment 8
41.4
43.0
GCSE Eng+Maths 5+
34.5%
37%
KS2 Reading
-
-
KS2 Maths
-
-
KS2 Writing
-
-
A-Level Performance (2024/25)
Average Grade
-
B-
Points Per Entry
-
36.3
Best 3 A-Levels
-
B-
AAB+ %
-
14%
Value Added
-
Average
A-Level Students
-
90
Retention
-
89%
University Destinations (2022/23 cohort)
Top-third university
-
15%
Degree course
-
58%
Any L4+ destination
-
61%
Apprenticeships
-
3%
Cohort size
-
121
A-Level Subjects
Subjects offered
0
15
Top subjects
Psychology (90)
Biology (80)
Chemistry (64)
History (64)
Business Studies (56)
Mathematics (54)
Business Studies:Single (52)
Psychology (46)