Bury Church of England High School
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Bury Church of England High School is a converter academy in Bury for boys and girls aged 11 to 16. It has 802 pupils and room for 810. About 23 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools. We give it 55 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 63% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in May 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.
Haslam Brow, Bury, BL9 0TS0161 797 6236burychurch.bury.sch.ukDr Suzanne Wrigley headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted visited on 6 May 2026. Instead of one overall word, it now gives a grade for each part of school life. Read the full report on Ofsted's website.
Ofsted says these new grades can't be lined up against the old one-word grades.
Earlier inspections (2)
| Date | Type | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 13 September 2023 | S5 Inspection | Requires improvement |
| 26 February 2020 | Ungraded | School remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next |
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
165 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
All GCSE measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022† | 2019† | 2018† | Bury | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 165 | 161 | 175 | 173 | 150 | 161 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 49.1 | 46.0 | 47.6 | 51.0 | 46.5 | 49.8 | 43.3 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | -0.31 | -0.21 | -0.36 | -0.35 | -0.15 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 52% | 51% | 46% | 64% | 42% | 46% | 38% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 73% | 72% | 73% | 84% | 71% | 76% | 62% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 4.42 | 4.12 | 4.31 | 4.83 | 4.34 | 4.80 | 3.78 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 42% | 32% | 42% | 92% | 81% | 84% | 30% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 38.9 | 37.9 | 36.2 | 44.6 | 34.6 | 36.4 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 51.4 | 47.5 | 49.3 | 52.0 | 48.8 | 52.8 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 26.3 | 27.8 | 37.3 | 20.8 | 20.6 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 58.3 | 65.0 | 61.1 | 54.6 | 59.4 | – | – |
† These results are for Bury Church of England High School, the school this one replaced in January 2022. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
Subjects
Results came out for 19 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.
Strongest subjects
Subjects that did worse than the England average: Media / Film / TV (43% here, 55% across England), Art and Design (48% here, 58% across England).
The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.
Every subject against England, 2025
| Subject | Entries | Grades 9 to 7 | Grades 9 to 5 | Grades 9 to 4 | England 9 to 5 | Rank in England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 165 | 18% | 55% | 78% | 53% | 1,323 of 3,211 |
| English Literature | 165 | 26% | 68% | 78% | 58% | 741 of 3,202 |
| English Language | 165 | 24% | 58% | 76% | 54% | 1,134 of 3,210 |
| Religious Studies | 142 | 26% | 61% | 71% | 60% | 969 of 1,825 |
| Combined Science | 131 | 3% | 53% | 70% | 36% | 428 of 3,084 |
| Geography | 81 | 24% | 53% | 70% | 51% | 1,195 of 3,116 |
| History | 60 | 25% | 58% | 63% | 52% | 1,028 of 3,126 |
| Art and Design | 52 | 25% | 48% | 62% | 58% | 1,917 of 2,818 |
| French | 48 | 25% | 69% | 85% | 60% | 760 of 1,974 |
| Physical Education | 37 | 24% | 65% | 87% | 56% | 556 of 1,559 |
| Spanish | 34 | 18% | 71% | 79% | 54% | 444 of 1,941 |
| Chemistry | 28 | 68% | 100% | 100% | 81% | 248 of 2,537 |
| Biology | 28 | 61% | 100% | 100% | 82% | 238 of 2,570 |
| Physics | 28 | 79% | 100% | 100% | 82% | 126 of 2,546 |
| Media / Film / TV | 21 | 19% | 43% | 67% | 55% | 418 of 580 |
| Computer Science | 13 | 15% | 39% | 46% | 56% | – |
| Food Preparation & Nutrition | 12 | 33% | 75% | 75% | 52% | – |
| Drama | 9 | 0% | 22% | 33% | 60% | – |
| Design & Technology | 9 | 0% | 67% | 89% | 50% | – |
In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.
Does every child do well here?
A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 2 of the 3 gaps are smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.
At GCSE, 2025
Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.
Getting a place
Open to all. There is no entrance test. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.
The school is full, with 18 more pupils than it has places for. More families apply than can get in, so things like how close you live and whether an older brother or sister is already here decide who gets a place. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.
In 2026 every child who applied got a place, so how far away you live didn't matter. That could change if the school gets more popular.
We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.
How places were given out for September 2026. Every child who applied got a place (136 offers for 162 places).
Who goes here
Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (44), Specific learning difficulty (31), Autistic spectrum disorder (30), Moderate learning difficulty (17), language and communications needs (14), Vision impairment (7).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 802 | 827 | 842 | 829 | 838 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 23% | 21% | 18% | 14% | 13% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 7% | 8% | 8% | 5% | 4% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 19% | 16% | 12% | 7% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 4% | 4% | 3% | 2% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 91.6% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21† | 2018/19† | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 8.4% | 8.3% | 7.9% | 9.3% | 4.1% | 5.7% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 6.1% | 5.8% | 5.8% | 7.5% | 3.2% | 4.8% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 2.3% | 2.4% | 2.0% | 1.8% | 0.9% | 0.9% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 20.8% | 21.2% | 23.1% | 27.9% | 10.2% | 15.1% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 23.9 | 13.9 | 11.9 | 9.9 | – | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | – | – | – |
† These attendance figures are for Bury Church of England High School, the school this one replaced in January 2022. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 175 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 96%, compared with 97% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 97% | 97% | 96% |
| Education | 93% | 93% | 88% |
| Apprenticeship | 3% | 1% | 4% |
| Work | 1% | 2% | 3% |
| Not in education, work or training | 3% | 2% | 4% |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other secondary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.
The area around the school
Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.
Nearby schools
The closest secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Gabriel's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy | Academy | 410 m | 1,027 | Good 2023 | 40 | Compare |
| The Derby High School | Academy | 430 m | – | Good 2023 | – | Compare |
| Hazel Wood High School | Academy | 1.3 miles | 671 | Good 2023 | 33 | Compare |
| The Elton High School | Council | 1.4 miles | 1,017 | Report card 2026 | 31 | Compare |
| Star Radcliffe Academy | Free school | 1.7 miles | 286 | Not inspected | – | Compare |
| Unsworth Academy | Academy | 2.1 miles | 953 | Good 2019 | 59 | Compare |
| Tottington High School | Academy | 2.3 miles | 811 | Requires improvement 2024 | 3 | Compare |
| Philips High School | Academy | 2.7 miles | 868 | Requires improvement 2022 | 66 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Bury Church of England High School with the 50 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 50 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher
Of those 50 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Bury Church of England High School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golborne High School | Foundation | 13.8 miles | 1,144 | Outstanding 2023 | 67 | Compare |
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 55 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 55% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 45 to 66. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.
| What we looked at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 20% | in line | +0.03 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 165 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | in line | -0.05 | Ofsted report card, 0.4 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | below | -0.11 | DfE progress measure; 165 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | well above | +0.12 | results and attendance rising year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | in line | +0.01 | 2024/25; 856 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | in line | +0.03 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 165 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | above | +0.04 | 175 pupils |
| What parents say | 0% | no data | – |
Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.
Questions parents ask
Is Bury Church of England High School a good school?
It is about average. Bury Church of England High School scores 55 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 63% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 45 to 66, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is Bury Church of England High School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 6 May 2026 it rated teaching as as expected, achievement as as expected, behaviour and attendance as as expected, leadership as as expected.
How good are Bury Church of England High School's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 52% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 49.1, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished about half a grade behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How many pupils does Bury Church of England High School have?
802 pupils aged 11 to 16 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 810 places, so it is 99% full.
Is Bury Church of England High School oversubscribed?
Probably. The school was full in 2024/25, with 18 more pupils than places. How close you live, and the school's other admissions rules, decide who gets in.
What is attendance like at Bury Church of England High School?
Pupils were in school 91.6% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 21% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Bury Church of England High School?
The average class had 26.7 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 11% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Bury Church of England High School have a sixth form?
No. Pupils leave after Year 11 for a sixth form elsewhere, a college or an apprenticeship; 97% of 2022/23 leavers were still in education, work or training six months on.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Haslam Brow, Bury, BL9 0TS
- Telephone
- 0161 797 6236
- Website
- burychurch.bury.sch.uk
- Headteacher
- Dr Suzanne Wrigley
- Type of school
- Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England, Diocese of Manchester
- Multi-academy trust
- The Bishop Fraser Trust (8 schools)
- Local authority
- Bury
- Ward
- Redvales
- Constituency
- Bury North
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 January 2022 (academy converter)
- URN
- 148866 · LAESTAB 3514603 · UKPRN 10089764
- Formerly
- Bury Church of England High School
Recent changes
- New KS4 results for 2024/25
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- Admissions outcomes: Bury council's published allocation statistics (source), entry years 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.