Essa Academy, Bolton

Ofsted's report card from its 20 January 2026 inspection grades Essa Academy on 6 areas: 6 strong standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Strong standard. "Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, typically achieve highly over time across a range of subjects, as reflected in national examinations."

Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "High-quality teaching, support and a range of rewards contribute to pupils wanting to come to school."

Curriculum and teaching - Strong standard. "Leaders have an accurate understanding of the effectiveness of the curriculum."

Inclusion - Strong standard. "Leaders have a very secure understanding of the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), disadvantaged pupils and those known to social care."

Leadership and governance - Strong standard. "Leaders, together with governors and the trust, are ambitious for pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities."

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "Leaders provide an ambitious programme for personal development that equips pupils with the knowledge and skills they need to thrive when they leave the school."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "• Leaders and those responsible for governance should sustain the effectiveness of their work in all areas. They should seek continued improvement, overcoming barriers and challenges, in order to drive a transformational impact for all pupils".

In 2026, pupils at Essa Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 48.9, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.6 in Bolton and 47 across England.

54% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 48% in Bolton and 47% in England.

That is down from 53 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.73: pupils made well above 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 44.4, against 53.4 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 9 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 21 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Art and Design, Combined Science and History.

For September 2026 entry, 222 families put Essa Academy as their first choice and 578 named it as one of their preferences, for 200 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 34 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Essa Academy are King's Leadership Academy Bolton (0.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 49); Bolton Muslim Girls School (0.7 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 56.5); Mount St Joseph RC High School a Voluntary Academy (1 mile, Attainment 8 41.5); and University Collegiate School (1.2 miles, Inadequate, Attainment 8 41.4).

Essa Academy's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.

Essa Academy is one of 30 schools run by Northern Education Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 47.5 in 2024/25.

26 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Essa Academy (as of April 2026): 77% would recommend the school, 73% say their child is happy there and 40% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (85%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (40%).

Of the 204 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 90% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 36% to a further education college and 2% to an apprenticeship.

49% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 57.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are Asian (65%), Black (9%) and other ethnic groups (7%).

In 2026, 146 pupils (13.8%) received SEN support and 30 (2.8%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is a moderate learning difficulty.

Essa Academy had 47 teachers in 2026, one for every 23 pupils: fewer teachers per pupil than a typical secondary school, at about one for every 17.

The nearest railway station is Bolton Rail Station, about 1.5 miles away in a straight line.

13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Holmeswood Road (n-bound), 130 metres away.

In 2024/25, Essa Academy issued 542 suspensions, 50.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.

The primary schools closest to Essa Academy are Essa Primary Academy (under 0.1 miles), St Bede Academy (0.3 miles), Lever Edge Primary Academy (0.4 miles) and The Olive Tree Primary School Bolton (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.