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Holy Cross College, Bury

Good
Post-16
Further education
Mixed
Roman Catholic
Ages 16–99

Holy Cross College is a post-16 school for pupils aged 16 to 99 in Bury. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2024.

Ofsted
Good (2024)
New inspections, open days and news, by email.

Data last updated 26 Oct 2026

Holy Cross College in detail

Holy Cross College in its own words

In its own words: "A Catholic college is a centre of community , life and study , which strives to be genuinely and fully human; bringing humanity to every aspect of college life. It is a place where people can learn, grow and develop while feeling valued and accepted for who they are."

From the headteacher's welcome: "Leaving school to join us at Holy Cross is the first step towards your future as a young adult. This is an exciting time as you prepare to make the transition from high school to sixth form college. Holy Cross has a long tradition of success."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include dance, drama, orchestra, chess, debating, Duke of Edinburgh and book club.

Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)

Source: The school's own website

Where pupils go next

Of the 1112 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 60% went on to university or other higher education, 6% to apprenticeships and 19% into work. 17% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

Getting there

The nearest tram or metro stop is Bury (Manchester Metrolink), about 660 metres away (roughly a 8-minute walk).

9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Holy Cross College (outside), 70 metres away.

The area around the school

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Holy Cross 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

Location

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Ms Carina Vitti
LA:Bury
Phone:01617624500
Address:169 Manchester Road, Bury, BL9 9BB
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 3 years ago
Good

Overall

Good

Quality of Education

Outstanding

Behaviour & Attitudes

Outstanding

Personal Development

Good

Leadership & Management

Inspected 12 March 2024View full report

Safeguarding: effective

Contribution to meeting skills needs: Reasonable

Source: Ofsted, further education and skills inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)

URN:130499
UKPRN:10003128
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Bury North
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

Ofsted rated this school Good at its March 2024 inspection.

Rated Outstanding for

Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development.

Rated Good for

Quality of education, Leadership & management.

At a Glance

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Special Measures

Sixth Form Performance (A-Level)

A-Level Results

C+

Average grade

34.8

Points per entry

B-

Best 3 A-Levels

13%

Achieving AAB+

Above average

Value added

975

A-Level students

93%

Retention rate

2024/25 academic year

A-Level Subjects Offered

Psychology598
Mathematics418
Biology338
Business Studies330
Sociology294
Law284
History240
Chemistry230
Economics228
English Literature194
Computer Science182
Accounting and Finance164
Physics130
Geography122
Graphics116
English Language108
Media / Film / TV Studies92
Photography92
Physical Education / Sports Studies86
Government and Politics82

+ 14 more subjects

2024/25 academic year - entries by number of students

After A-Levels - Leaver Destinations

After A-Levels (Year 13) - 1,112 students

Continued education62%
Higher education60%
Further education2%
Apprenticeships6%
Employment19%
Not in education/employment10%

2023/24 data

University & Higher Education Destinations

17%

Top-third university

71%

Degree course

74%

Any L4+ destination

2%

Apprenticeships

Based on 1,122 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 5 nearby schools

See peer comparison with Pro - £9 a month, or £90 a year, inc. VAT

Keep up with Holy Cross College

Getting There

Tube / Metro / Tram

Bury (Manchester Metrolink) (To Manchester)
661m · 11 min walk
Bury Interchange (Manchester Metrolink) (S entrance)
676m · 11 min walk

Bus Stops

Holy Cross College (o/s)
67m · 1 min walk
Parliament Street (opp)
151m · 2 min walk
Brierley Street (opp)
194m · 3 min walk
Haslam Brow (N-bound)
271m · 4 min walk
Caton Close (nr)
274m · 4 min walk

Safety and surroundings

Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)

Collisions
40
Fatal
0
Serious
10
Children hurt
11

Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 40 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 10 serious and 30 slight.

11 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 7 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise.

15 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 Bury is 10 (the median across 92 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.

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Commute and house prices

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Capacity & Demand

Area Demand Pressure - Bury

High pressure
New homes approved:837
Projected new pupils:151

Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Bury

Across Bury council

Low demand council-wide0.91 applications per place

Places available

2,444

Applications

2,233

Got 1st preference

90.7%

Got preferred school

98.2%

All secondary applications across Bury council (2026/27), not just this school.

Inspection History(6)

12 March 2024

Further education and skills inspection

Quality of EducationGood
Behaviour & AttitudesOutstanding
Personal DevelopmentOutstanding
Leadership & ManagementGood
10 December 2018
31 January 2017

Questions parents ask about Holy Cross College

What is Holy Cross College's Ofsted rating?

Holy Cross College was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2024.

What is the catchment area for Holy Cross College?

No fixed boundary. When Holy Cross College is oversubscribed, Bury allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.

How do I apply to Holy Cross College?

Apply through Bury's coordinated admissions process, naming Holy Cross 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 Holy Cross College?

Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 40 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 10 serious and 30 slight. 11 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 7 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise. 15 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 Bury is 10 (the median across 92 schools, same distance and years).

Where is Holy Cross College?

Holy Cross College is at 169 Manchester Road, Bury, Greater Manchester, BL9 9BB.

Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)

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