Bolton Sixth Form College, Bolton
Bolton Sixth Form College is a post-16 school for pupils aged 16 to 19 in Bolton. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2023.
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Bolton Sixth Form College in detail
Bolton Sixth Form College in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "I am delighted to welcome you to The Sixth Form Bolton. We are the only specialist Sixth Form in the town and the largest provider of A Level studies in the borough. Our teachers concentrate on programmes that are for students aged 16-19."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, cricket, chess, robotics, STEM, film, debating and philosophy.
Coming up: an open day on Saturday 21 November 2026 at 10am. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Bolton
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Where pupils go next
Of the 884 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 55% went on to university or other higher education, 5% to apprenticeships and 17% into work. 7% went to one of the most selective third of universities.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Bolton Rail Station, about 680 metres away (roughly a 8-minute walk).
16 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bolton College (opposite), 100 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Bolton Sixth Form College stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Sources: DfE destination measures; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Contribution to meeting skills needs: Reasonable
Source: Ofsted, further education and skills inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its October 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Special Measures
Sixth Form Performance (A-Level)
A-Level Results
C+
Average grade
32.8
Points per entry
C+
Best 3 A-Levels
10%
Achieving AAB+
Below average
Value added
439
A-Level students
91%
Retention rate
2024/25 academic year
A-Level Subjects Offered
+ 10 more subjects
2024/25 academic year - entries by number of students
After A-Levels - Leaver Destinations
After A-Levels (Year 13) - 884 students
2023/24 data
University & Higher Education Destinations
7%
Top-third university
67%
Degree course
71%
Any L4+ destination
3%
Apprenticeships
Based on 732 students completing 16-18 study
2022/23 cohort - "Top-third" = most selective third of UK universities by student intake
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 3 nearby schools
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From Bolton Sixth Form College's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Bolton Sixth Form College
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 68
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 16
- Children hurt
- 7
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 68 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 16 serious and 52 slight.
7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 5 in a vehicle or otherwise.
19 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Bolton is 14 (the median across 148 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
Area Demand Pressure - Bolton
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Bolton
Across Bolton council
Places available
4,385
Applications
3,868
Got 1st preference
87.1%
Got preferred school
96.8%
All secondary applications across Bolton council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(7)
Questions parents ask about Bolton Sixth Form College
What is Bolton Sixth Form College's Ofsted rating?
Bolton Sixth Form College was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in October 2023.
What is the catchment area for Bolton Sixth Form College?
No fixed boundary. When Bolton Sixth Form College is oversubscribed, Bolton allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How do I apply to Bolton Sixth Form College?
Apply through Bolton's coordinated admissions process, naming Bolton Sixth Form College on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Bolton Sixth Form College?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 68 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 16 serious and 52 slight. 7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 5 in a vehicle or otherwise. 19 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Bolton is 14 (the median across 148 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Bolton Sixth Form College?
Bolton Sixth Form College is at Town Centre Campus, Deane Road, Bolton, Lancashire, BL3 5BU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)