St James's Church of England High School, Bolton
St James's Church of England High School is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Bolton, part of The Bishop Fraser Trust. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2022. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 8th-highest of the 20 schools in Bolton with published results, and 1,276th of 3,298 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.6 first-choice applications for every place. It was full in 2025, at 101% of capacity.
- GCSE results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2022)
- Demand
- 1.6 first choices per place
- Attendance
- Better than England average
- Progress (2024)
- Average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Bolton (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St James's Church of England High School in detail
St James's Church of England High School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Our mission is to ensure every young person, no matter what their starting point can experience 'life in all its fullness.' To this end we ensure every young person fulfils their full academic potential whilst also developing into happy, confident, compassionate and accomplished young adults."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include cricket, dance, drama, choir, chess and art.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2026, pupils at St James's Church of England High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 48.1, 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 53.5 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.07: pupils made about 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 41.9, against 49.7 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 7.8 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 22 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and Geography.
Getting a place at St James's Church of England High School
For September 2026 entry, 315 families put St James's Church of England High School as their first choice and 732 named it as one of their preferences, for 197 places offered. That is 1.6 first choices for every place. 122 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at St James's Church of England High School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to St James's Church of England High School are Harper Green School (0.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 42.6); Mount St Joseph RC High School a Voluntary Academy (0.7 miles, Attainment 8 41.5); King's Leadership Academy Bolton (1.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 49); and Star Salford Academy (1.3 miles).
St James's Church of England High School's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.
Harper Green SchoolMount St Joseph RC High School a Voluntary AcademyKing's Leadership Academy BoltonStar Salford Academy
The trust
St James's Church of England High School 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.
Where pupils go next
Of the 209 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 90% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 71% to a further education college, 2% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Moses Gate Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St James' School (outside), 30 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St James's Church of England High School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St James's Church of England High School issued 90 suspensions, 8.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to St James's Church of England High School are Our Lady of Lourdes RC Primary School (0.2 miles); Highfield Primary School (0.2 miles); St James CofE Primary School, Farnworth (0.4 miles); and The Ferns Primary Academy (0.4 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Our Lady of Lourdes RC Primary SchoolHighfield Primary SchoolSt James CofE Primary School, FarnworthThe Ferns Primary Academy
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE destination measures; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its November 2022 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
Rated Good for
Quality of education.
At a Glance
20.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has improved from -0.24 to -0.07 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has declined from 49.0 to 48.1 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has improved from 48% to 54% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 48.1 | 53.6% |
| Disadvantaged(43) | - | 41.9 | 41.9% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(164) | - | 49.7 | 56.7% |
| Boys(106) | - | 45.2 | 49.1% |
| Girls(101) | - | 51.1 | 58.4% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(31) | - | 59.9 | 77.4% |
| Non mobile(205) | - | 48.1 | 53.7% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 2 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 209 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
2
Permanent exclusions
0.19%
Exclusion rate
90
Suspensions
8.46%
Suspension rate
37 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 1,064 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with St James's Church of England High School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St James's Church of England High School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St James's Church of England High School is in Bolton; for families living there:
Apply to Bolton for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 29
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 13
- Children hurt
- 11
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 29 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 13 serious and 16 slight.
11 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 5 in a vehicle or otherwise.
7 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
Your chances of a place at St James's Church of England High School
Will you get a place at St James's Church of England High School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St James's Church of England High School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St James's Church of England High School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St James's Church of England High School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Bolton, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St James's Church of England High School for 2018 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Bolton got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
101%
Over capacity
1,053 pupils
1,050 places
3 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
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.
This school: 1.6 first choices per place
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
136
SEN Support
61
EHC Plans
18.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
1,053
Total Pupils
541
Boys
512
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
71
Teachers
14.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,876
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,997
Per pupil
£7849k
Total funding
£232k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.5%
Overall absence
16.6%
Persistent absence
1,081
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
St James's Church of England High School
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about St James's Church of England High School
What are GCSE results like at St James's Church of England High School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at St James's Church of England High School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 48.1. 54% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is St James's Church of England High School's Ofsted rating?
St James's Church of England High School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2022. At its previous graded inspection in 2011 it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for St James's Church of England High School?
No fixed boundary. When St James's Church of England High School is oversubscribed, Bolton allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St James's Church of England High School?
St James's Church of England High School was full in 2025, at 100% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at St James's Church of England High School?
Classes at St James's Church of England High School average 23.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St James's Church of England High School?
St James's Church of England High School has around 1053 pupils on roll. 20% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St James's Church of England High School?
6.5% of sessions were missed at St James's Church of England High School in 2024/25. 16.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St James's Church of England High School?
Apply through Bolton's coordinated admissions process, naming St James's Church of England High School on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near St James's Church of England High School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 29 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 13 serious and 16 slight. 11 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 5 in a vehicle or otherwise. 7 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 St James's Church of England High School?
St James's Church of England High School is at Lucas Road, Farnworth, Bolton, Greater Manchester, BL4 9RU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)