SchoolScoresWesthoughton High School
Community school · Secondary, ages 11 to 16 · Mixed
Bolton Road, Westhoughton, Bolton, BL5 3BZ · Proposed to close
01942 814122 · School website · Map and directions
Ofsted inspection
Ofsted report card from the inspection that started on 27 January 2026 , published 8 June 2026.
In short: 1 expected, 4 needs attention, 1 urgent improvement, and safeguarding met.
Since November 2025 Ofsted grades each area on a five-point scale instead of giving one overall grade. How report cards work.
Category of concern: Requires significant improvement. Ofsted will monitor the school closely until it improves.
| Area | Grade |
|---|---|
| SafeguardingWhether pupils are kept safe. Met or not met. | Met |
| InclusionHow well the school supports disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs. | Needs attention Fourth of five grades. Below the expected standard; the school needs to improve this. |
| Curriculum and teachingWhat pupils are taught and how well they are taught it. | Needs attention Fourth of five grades. Below the expected standard; the school needs to improve this. |
| AchievementHow well pupils learn and the results they get. | Needs attention Fourth of five grades. Below the expected standard; the school needs to improve this. |
| Attendance and behaviourWhether pupils come to school and how they behave. | Urgent improvement The lowest of five grades. Ofsted found serious weaknesses that need fixing quickly. |
| Personal development and wellbeingPupils' wider development, character and wellbeing. | Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects. |
| Leadership and governanceHow well leaders and governors run the school. | Needs attention Fourth of five grades. Below the expected standard; the school needs to improve this. |
Read the full Ofsted reports for this school
Source: Ofsted state-funded schools inspection data.
What parents say
259 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 10 November 2025 and 6 April 2026.
Bolton comparisons use the 4 of its 20 state secondary schools with comparable results. The other 16 have no published Parent View results (Ofsted only publishes a survey once at least 10 parents answer) or used Ofsted's newer questions, which we don't compare with the older ones.
| Statement | This school | Bolton | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| My child is happy at this school 4th highest of 4 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in Bolton. Higher than 24% of 442 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 66% | 69% | 83% |
| My child feels safe at this school 4th highest of 4 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in Bolton. Higher than 21% of 442 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 68% | 71% | 85% |
| The school makes sure pupils are well behaved 4th highest of 4 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in Bolton. Higher than 22% of 442 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 57% | 60% | 78% |
| Bullying was dealt with quickly and effectivelyOf 76 parents whose child had been bullied Higher than 28% of 344 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 34% | – | 43% |
| Concerns were dealt with properlyOf 229 parents who had raised a concern 4th highest of 4 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in Bolton. Higher than 27% of 431 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 59% | 62% | 74% |
| My child with SEND gets the support they needOf 79 parents of children with SEND Higher than 39% of 356 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 52% | – | 63% |
| I would recommend this school to another parent 3rd highest of 4 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in Bolton. Higher than 28% of 442 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 70%said yes | 71% | 83% |
Parents choose whether to take part, so these answers may not represent all families (Ofsted puts the response rate at 19%). Figures are the share who agree or strongly agree. England figures are all parents answering the same questions over the same period, for state-funded schools. Bolton figures pool parents at the Bolton schools compared, from each school's latest survey, so survey dates differ between schools. The scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) agreement, and the dot marks this school among state schools of the same phase that used the same survey questions. The third it falls in is coloured: green for the top third, amber the middle, red the bottom. Source: Ofsted Parent View management information.
Results
GCSEs (key stage 4, age 16), 2024/25
257 pupils in this year group.
41% — 3 points below the Bolton average, and 5 points below the England average.
| Measure | This school | Bolton | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 41% | 44% | 45% |
| Attainment 8 scoreAverage of each pupil's grades across 8 GCSE-level subjects, with English and maths counted twice. Around 50 means grade 5s on average. | 44.4 | 45.7 | 46.1 |
| EBacc average point scoreAverage points across the English Baccalaureate subjects: English, maths, sciences, a language and history or geography. | 3.6 | 4.0 | 4.1 |
Progress 8 isn't shown. DfE didn't publish it for 2024/25 because this year group's key stage 2 tests in 2020 were cancelled, and older progress scores aren't comparable.
Source: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25. England figures are for state-funded schools.
After Year 11
Where pupils went next. DfE measures this for pupils who finished in an earlier year, so these figures describe a previous year group.
247 pupils in this year group.
91% — about the same as the Bolton average, and about the same as the England average.
| Measure | This school | Bolton | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stayed in education, an apprenticeship or workPupils recorded in sustained education, apprenticeship or employment in the year after finishing Year 11. | 91% | 90% | 92% |
| School sixth form | 1% | 12% | 34% |
| Sixth form college | 9% | 25% | 13% |
| Further education college | 72% | 45% | 37% |
| Apprenticeship | 5% | 3% | 3% |
| Work | 3% | 3% | 3% |
Stayed in education, an apprenticeship or work, over time
| 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|
| 92% | 91% |
Source: DfE key stage 4 destination measures, 2024/25 performance tables. England figures are for state-funded schools.
Admissions
Apply through the council where you live, even if the school is in a different council area. This school is in Bolton. The national closing date for secondary applications is 31 October, and offers are sent on 1 March.
How hard is it to get in?
For the September 2026 intake there were fewer first-choice applications than places.
| Places offered | 258 |
|---|---|
| Families who put it first | 221 |
| Of those, offered a place | 221 (100%) |
| Families who listed it at all | 369 |
First-choice applications per place: 2024: 0.9 · 2025: 1.0 · 2026: 0.9
This isn't your chance of getting a place. That depends on the school's admissions rules (for example siblings, distance or faith) and where you live. Source: DfE applications and offers, September 2026 intake.
Pupils, staff and SEND
| Pupils | This school | Bolton | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years 16th highest of 20 state secondary schools in Bolton. Higher than 43% of 3,448 state secondary schools in England. | 24.5% | 32.9%* | 28.9% |
| With an education, health and care plan 12th highest of 20 state secondary schools in Bolton. Higher than 30% of 3,448 state secondary schools in England. | 2.2% | 2.9%* | 3.1% |
| Receiving special educational needs support 15th highest of 20 state secondary schools in Bolton. Higher than 18% of 3,448 state secondary schools in England. | 9.3% | 11.3%* | 13.4% |
| English as an additional language 19th highest of 20 state secondary schools in Bolton. Higher than 24% of 3,448 state secondary schools in England. | 5.3% | 27.7%* | 19.2% |
| Overall absence (sessions missed) 20th lowest of 20 state secondary schools in Bolton. Lower than 13% of 3,411 state secondary schools in England. | 11.1% | 8.2%* | 8.4% |
| Persistently absent (missed 10% or more) 20th lowest of 20 state secondary schools in Bolton. Lower than 15% of 3,411 state secondary schools in England. | 31.8% | 23.0%* | 23.4% |
| Suspensions per 100 pupils 15th lowest of 20 state secondary schools in Bolton. Lower than 10% of 3,445 state secondary schools in England. | 52.9 | 31.5 | 21.2 |
| Pupils suspended at least once 14th lowest of 20 state secondary schools in Bolton. Lower than 22% of 3,445 state secondary schools in England. | 11.1% | 8.9% | 7.3% |
| Pupils permanently excluded6 pupils | 0.45% | 0.29% | 0.23% |
| Pupils per teacher 7th highest of 20 state secondary schools in Bolton. Higher than 59% of 3,442 state secondary schools in England. | 17.2 | 16.3 | 16.7 |
| Pupils per adult (teachers and support staff) Joint 7th highest of 20 state secondary schools in Bolton. Higher than 49% of 3,445 state secondary schools in England. | 11.8 | 11.4 | 11.8 |
| Teachers who left during the year 16th highest of 20 state secondary schools in Bolton. Higher than 46% of 3,430 state secondary schools in England. | 12.6% | 17.2%* | 14.2%* |
Comparisons are with secondary schools. Scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) figures. For absence and suspensions lower is better, so their scales run green to red; blue scales describe the school's pupils and staff and aren't good or bad. * Calculated by SchoolScores from the council's or England's schools, weighted by pupils (or teachers, for turnover); other figures are published by DfE. Sources: DfE school census 2024/25; DfE pupil absence 2024/25; DfE suspensions and permanent exclusions 2024/25; DfE school workforce census 2025/26; DfE teacher turnover 2024/25.
Nearby secondary schools
- Ladybridge High School 2.1 miles · Ofsted: Good (2022) · 33% grade 5+ English and maths
- Atherton High School 2.1 miles · Ofsted: Good (2024) · 26% grade 5+ English and maths
- Outwood Academy Hindley 2.2 miles · Ofsted: No overall grade (2024) · 31% grade 5+ English and maths
- The Westleigh School 2.4 miles · Ofsted: Good (2022) · 21% grade 5+ English and maths
- St Joseph's RC High School 2.7 miles · Ofsted: No overall grade (2025) · 50% grade 5+ English and maths
- Al Jamiah Al Islamiyyah 2.8 miles · Independent · Ofsted: Requires improvement (2024)
- Fred Longworth High School 2.9 miles · Ofsted: Good (2017), confirmed 2022 · 45% grade 5+ English and maths
- Essa Academy 2.9 miles · Ofsted: Report card 2026: 6 strong · 54% grade 5+ English and maths
Straight-line distance. Distance isn't the same as a catchment area.
Questions parents ask
What is Westhoughton High School's Ofsted rating?
Westhoughton High School was inspected under Ofsted's report card format in 27 January 2026. Report cards grade each area on a five-point scale instead of giving one overall grade. Its grades were 1 expected, 4 needs attention, 1 urgent improvement, and safeguarding was met.
How did Westhoughton High School do in its GCSEs?
In 2024/25, 41% of pupils grade 5 or above in English and maths, 5 points below the England average of 45%.
Would parents recommend Westhoughton High School?
70% of the 259 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 10 November 2025 and 6 April 2026 said they would recommend Westhoughton High School to another parent. Parents choose whether to respond, so this may not represent all families.
Is Westhoughton High School oversubscribed?
For the September 2026 intake, 221 families put Westhoughton High School as their first choice for 258 places: fewer first-choice applications than places. 221 of those families were offered a place. Whether you get a place depends on the school's admissions rules and where you live.
Sources
- School details: Get Information about Schools (DfE), 26 September 2026. URN 105252.
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, data to 31 August 2026.
- Parent views: Ofsted Parent View, 10 November 2025 to 6 April 2026.
- Results: DfE school performance tables, GCSEs 2024/25, After Year 11 2024/25.
Spotted a mistake? Report it and we'll check it against the source.
Page updated 26 September 2026.