Bolton St Catherine's Academy, Bolton

In 2026, pupils at Bolton St Catherine's Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 36.9, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.6 in Bolton and 47 across England.

28% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 48% in Bolton and 47% in England.

That is up from 34.3 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.71: pupils made well below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 31.9, against 41.6 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 9.7 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 26 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Geography and History.

For September 2026 entry, 109 families put Bolton St Catherine's Academy as their first choice and 162 named it as one of their preferences, for 134 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Bolton St Catherine's Academy are Canon Slade School (1.1 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 54); Sharples School (1.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 56.5); Turton School (1.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 44); and Eden Boys' School, Bolton (1.9 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 57).

Each of them had higher 2026 results than Bolton St Catherine's Academy.

Bolton St Catherine's Academy is one of 8 schools run by The Bishop Fraser Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 49.5 in 2024/25.

114 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Bolton St Catherine's Academy (as of September 2025): 63% would recommend the school, 71% say their child is happy there and 50% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that the school has high expectations for their child (75%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).

Of the 140 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 68% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 49% to a further education college, 4% to an apprenticeship and 3% into work.

52.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.

Bolton St Catherine's Academy has a resourced provision (18 places, 18 pupils on roll) and a SEN unit (300 places, 250 pupils on roll) for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs and moderate learning difficulties.

The nearest railway station is Hall i' th' Wood Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.

14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bolton St Catherine's Academy (outside), 140 metres away.

In 2024/25, Bolton St Catherine's Academy issued 628 suspensions, 61.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 10 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Bolton St Catherine's Academy are Harwood Meadows Primary School (0.4 miles); Red Lane Primary School (0.4 miles); Hardy Mill Primary School (0.6 miles); and St Brendan's RC Primary School, Harwood, Bolton (0.8 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.