1
Turton School
Bolton • Lancashire • BL7 9LT
2
7 May 2024
Top 10 Secondary schools in Bolton
Updated for the latest inspections (median graded year: 2023)
This Top 10 showcases secondary schools in the town of Bolton. It’s built from the latest graded Ofsted inspections. We rank Outstanding (grade 1) above Good (grade 2), then prioritise newer inspections. As tie-breakers, we consider the “Quality of education” sub-judgement (where available), then %FSM and school size.
Total secondary schools
11
Outstanding
0
Good
6
Median inspection year
2023
Ofsted grade mix (graded schools)
O: 0% · G: 67% · RI: 33% · I: 0%
2
Rivington and Blackrod High School
Bolton • Lancashire • BL6 7RU
2
26 Jul 2023
3
Harper Green School
Bolton • Lancashire • BL4 0DH
2
8 Mar 2023
4
Ladybridge High School
Bolton • Lancashire • BL3 4NG
2
11 Dec 2022
5
Kearsley Academy
Bolton • Lancashire • BL4 8HY
2
16 May 2022
6
Sharples School
Bolton • Lancashire • BL1 8SN
2
30 Sep 2013
7
Smithills School
Bolton • Lancashire • BL1 6JS
3
23 Oct 2023
8
Westhoughton High School
Bolton • Lancashire • BL5 3BZ
3
27 Jun 2023
9
St Joseph's RC High School
Bolton • Lancashire • BL6 6HW
3
19 Mar 2023
10
Canon Slade School
Bolton • Lancashire • BL2 3BP
Not judged
27 Nov 2024
How we rank these schools
- Headline Ofsted grade: Outstanding (1) outranks Good (2), then RI (3), then Inadequate (4).
- More recent graded inspection dates rank higher.
- Where available, we use the Quality of education sub-judgement as a tie-breaker.
- Lower free school meals (%) may break remaining ties.
- Larger roll (pupil count) is a final tie-breaker.
Only the ten highest-ranked schools are shown; we also list “near misses” just below.
About Ofsted grades
- Outstanding (1): Highest judgement across key areas.
- Good (2): Strong effectiveness; meets standards consistently.
- Requires improvement (3): Not yet good; clear areas to improve.
- Inadequate (4): Significant weaknesses found.
Ungraded Section 8 visits check whether the previous graded judgement still stands, but they don’t replace it.
Data freshness & coverage
We refresh inspections and school snapshots regularly. If a school was inspected very recently, its report may not yet appear here.
Top-10 pages only appear for areas with at least 10 secondary schools that have a graded Ofsted inspection.
Map of the Top 10
Also highly rated nearby
- Thornleigh Salesian College Not judged • Nov 2024