Thornleigh Salesian College
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Thornleigh Salesian College is a Roman Catholic school (voluntary aided) in Bolton for boys and girls aged 11 to 18. It has 1,574 pupils and room for 1,650. About 29 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, about the same as most schools in England. We give it 25 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 16% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2024, no overall grade.
Sharples Park, Astley Bridge, Bolton, BL1 6PQ01204 301351thornleigh.bolton.sch.ukMr Michael Fitzsimons headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 22 October 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Not judged Between September 2024 and November 2025, Ofsted graded each area but stopped giving one overall word.
Earlier inspections (1)
| Date | Type | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 6 November 2019 | Ungraded | School remains Good |
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
263 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 | Bolton | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 263 | 267 | 256 | 257 | 223 | 220 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 45.7 | 44.8 | 47.3 | 51.3 | 49.7 | 49.5 | 46.7 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | -0.22 | -0.07 | +0.13 | +0.11 | +0.24 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 41% | 45% | 41% | 59% | 48% | 45% | 45% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 68% | 64% | 68% | 73% | 73% | 71% | 66% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 3.86 | 3.86 | 4.08 | 4.45 | 4.28 | 4.20 | 4.07 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 27% | 20% | 29% | 23% | 31% | 32% | 36% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 32.5 | 33.5 | 42.9 | 42.5 | 41.0 | 42.3 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 50.9 | 48.9 | 48.9 | 55.0 | 53.3 | 53.2 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 22.8 | 29.5 | 35.2 | 22.7 | 29.0 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 62.8 | 66.2 | 70.5 | 62.0 | 63.3 | – | – |
Subjects
Results came out for 18 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.
Subjects that did worse than the England average: Mathematics (44% here, 53% 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 | 263 | 11% | 44% | 73% | 53% | 2,160 of 3,211 |
| English Language | 263 | 16% | 57% | 74% | 54% | 1,223 of 3,210 |
| English Literature | 258 | 19% | 62% | 74% | 58% | 1,096 of 3,202 |
| Combined Science | 239 | 13% | 38% | 60% | 36% | 1,253 of 3,084 |
| Religious Studies | 237 | 22% | 57% | 67% | 60% | 1,121 of 1,825 |
| History | 193 | 18% | 47% | 61% | 52% | 1,827 of 3,126 |
| Business | 82 | 13% | 52% | 67% | 51% | 752 of 1,806 |
| Spanish | 67 | 18% | 46% | 67% | 54% | 1,282 of 1,941 |
| Geography | 56 | 25% | 48% | 57% | 51% | 1,524 of 3,116 |
| Art and Design | 42 | 29% | 64% | 83% | 58% | 1,142 of 2,818 |
| Design & Technology | 29 | 7% | 52% | 86% | 50% | 661 of 1,478 |
| Computer Science | 26 | 35% | 62% | 73% | 56% | 719 of 1,861 |
| Physical Education | 23 | 17% | 65% | 78% | 56% | 549 of 1,559 |
| Music | 14 | 14% | 86% | 86% | 61% | – |
| Physics | 12 | 0% | 42% | 92% | 82% | – |
| Chemistry | 12 | 8% | 50% | 83% | 81% | – |
| Biology | 12 | 0% | 50% | 83% | 82% | – |
| Other Modern Languages | 10 | 60% | 70% | 70% | 49% | – |
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.
A level and sixth-form results, 2025
104 students finished sixth-form courses.
All sixth-form measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 104 | 157 | 176 | 139 | 272 | 289 |
| Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry | 36.28 | 32.90 | 34.82 | 36.39 | 31.75 | 31.99 |
| Average A level grade | B- | C+ | C+ | B- | C+ | C+ |
| Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS | 37.18 | 34.23 | 35.91 | 36.47 | 34.88 | 34.61 |
| AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects | 14% | 12% | 11% | 20% | 13% | 12% |
| A level progressA level value added | +0.01 | -0.24 | – | – | +0.09 | -0.17 |
| Applied general courses: points per entry | 32.96 | 29.41 | 26.40 | 30.33 | – | – |
| T levels: points per entry | – | 35.71 | 31.25 | – | – | – |
| Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed | 87% | 99% | 89% | 96% | 94% | 91% |
A level subjects
13 A level subjects had results in 2025. Each figure is the share of students who got an A* to B, next to the average for state sixth forms in England. When only a handful of students take a subject, its figures jump around from year to year.
Strongest A levels
Every A level subject against England, 2025
A levels only. BTECs, T levels and other courses are in the table above. Subjects with fewer than five students aren't published.
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. 1 of the 3 gaps is 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 Roman Catholic school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.
Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.
The last child to get a place lived 0.9 miles away in 2026. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils, faith and other priority groups are placed first. After that, the closer you live, the better your chances. Type in your postcode to see how far away you are.
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. More children applied than there were places. The last place went to a child living 0.9 miles from the school. Living closer than that didn't guarantee a place, but living much further away meant missing out that year.
| Entry | Places | Applied at all | How far the last child lived | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Secondary | 270 | 662 | 0.9 miles | LA |
What a home within 0.9 miles of the school costs
Every home sold within that distance of the school (the typical cut-off over the last three years), of any type, from HM Land Registry records. If homes here cost more than the district average, that is the price people pay to live close enough to get in.
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: Specific learning difficulty (59), Autistic spectrum disorder (46), Other difficulty or disability (44), emotional and mental health (25), language and communications needs (22), Physical disability (10).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 1,574 | 1,576 | 1,570 | 1,590 | 1,624 | 1,601 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 27% | 27% | 23% | 22% | 20% | 17% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 10% | 10% | 9% | 9% | 8% | 9% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 13% | 10% | 8% | 7% | 4% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 91.5% 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 | 8.5% | 9.4% | 9.0% | 8.2% | 5.2% | 5.0% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 4.3% | 5.8% | 6.3% | 6.3% | 4.4% | 4.1% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 4.2% | 3.7% | 2.8% | 1.9% | 0.8% | 0.9% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 24.0% | 24.9% | 27.5% | 25.2% | 13.2% | 11.0% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 15.1 | 10.2 | 7.3 | 7.5 | 5.8 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 2 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 256 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 91%, compared with 94% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 93% | 90% | 93% | 93% |
| Education | 87% | 79% | 85% | 83% |
| Apprenticeship | 4% | 6% | 4% | 4% |
| Work | 3% | 5% | 5% | 6% |
| Not in education, work or training | 5% | 8% | 4% | 6% |
After sixth form
Where the 165 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 83%, compared with 82% for everyone else.
Where the ones heading for university went
Among students from low-income families, 72% went on to degree-level study or training and 0% to a top-third university.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 82% | 93% | 89% | – |
| Education | 47% | 63% | 60% | – |
| Apprenticeship | 9% | 6% | 7% | 2% |
| Work | 27% | 24% | 22% | – |
| Not in education, work or training | 13% | 4% | 9% | – |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the council school accounts, year to March 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smithills School | Academy | 800 m | 1,203 | Report card 2026 | 11 | Compare |
| Eden Boys' School, Bolton | Free school | 0.7 miles | 621 | Outstanding 2023 | 89 | Compare |
| Sharples School | Academy | 0.9 miles | 1,214 | Not inspected | 92 | Compare |
| Canon Slade School | Academy | 1.4 miles | 1,724 | No overall grade 2024 | 76 | Compare |
| Turton School | Council | 1.6 miles | 1,596 | Good 2024 | 35 | Compare |
| University Collegiate School | University technical college | 1.9 miles | 683 | No overall grade 2024 | 20 | Compare |
| Bolton St Catherine's Academy | Academy | 2.3 miles | 1,003 | No overall grade 2025 | 10 | Compare |
| Bolton Muslim Girls School | Academy | 2.4 miles | 774 | No overall grade 2025 | 86 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Thornleigh Salesian College 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 Thornleigh Salesian College, 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Lever School | Academy | 3.7 miles | 1,085 | Report card 2026 | 45 | Compare |
| St Mary's Catholic High School | Roman Catholic | 7.4 miles | 1,537 | Not inspected | 33 | Compare |
| St Wilfrid's Church of England Academy | Academy | 10.0 miles | 1,483 | Good 2023 | 69 | Compare |
| Wardle Academy | Academy | 13.3 miles | 1,366 | Good 2022 | 34 | Compare |
| The Crompton House Church of England Academy | Academy | 13.9 miles | 1,865 | Good 2024 | 50 | Compare |
| Hollingworth Academy | Academy | 14.0 miles | 1,331 | Good 2022 | 68 | Compare |
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 25 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 25% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 19 to 33. 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 | -0.04 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 263 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | well below | -0.22 | Ofsted grade, 1.9 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | below | -0.09 | DfE progress measure; 263 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | below | -0.09 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | in line | +0.00 | 2024/25; 1,383 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | in line | 0.00 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 263 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | in line | +0.01 | 256 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 Thornleigh Salesian College a good school?
The figures are weak. Thornleigh Salesian College scores 25 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 16% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 19 to 33, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.
What is Thornleigh Salesian College's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Thornleigh Salesian College not judged at its last full inspection on 22 October 2024.
How good are Thornleigh Salesian College's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 41% 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 45.7, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished a little behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How many pupils does Thornleigh Salesian College have?
1,574 pupils aged 11 to 18 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,650 places, so it is 95% full.
Is Thornleigh Salesian College oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?
Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 0.9 miles away. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils and other priority groups come before distance, so the cut-off moves every year.
What is attendance like at Thornleigh Salesian College?
Pupils were in school 91.5% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 24% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Thornleigh Salesian College?
The average class had 21.3 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 5% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Thornleigh Salesian College have a sixth form?
Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was B-. 13 A level subjects had results in 2025; the full list is in the results section.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Sharples Park, Astley Bridge, Bolton, BL1 6PQ
- Telephone
- 01204 301351
- Website
- www.thornleigh.bolton.sch.uk
- Headteacher
- Mr Michael Fitzsimons
- Type of school
- Roman Catholic school (voluntary aided) (Voluntary aided school, local authority maintained schools)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-18, with sixth form
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Roman Catholic, Diocese of Salford
- Local authority
- Bolton
- Ward
- Astley Bridge
- Constituency
- Bolton North East
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- URN
- 105264 · LAESTAB 3504612 · UKPRN 10006897
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, consistent financial reporting 2024/25.
- A level subjects: DfE A level and other 16 to 18 results, subject entries and grades, 2024/25.
- Admissions outcomes: Bolton council's published allocation statistics (source), entry years 2026.
- House prices: HM Land Registry price paid data, December 2023 to December 2025, placed by postcode.
- 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.