Essa AcademyBolton Muslim Girls School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Bolton.
Summary of the comparison
Essa Academy and Bolton Muslim Girls School are secondary schools in Bolton.
Essa Academy scores 71 out of 100 (grade B, strong) and Bolton Muslim Girls School scores 77 out of 100 (grade B, strong). Bolton Muslim Girls School is ahead on our composite score.
Essa Academy was judged strong and Bolton Muslim Girls School was judged strong.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 48.9 for Essa Academy and 56.5 for Bolton Muslim Girls School.
GCSE Attainment 8 has risen at Essa Academy (45.8 in 2021-22, 48.9 in 2025-26) and has fallen at Bolton Muslim Girls School (60.9 in 2021-22, 56.5 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | BoltonEssa Academy | BoltonBolton Muslim Girls School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | B71/100 | B77/100Stronger figure | |
| Local ranking | 4th of 20 in Bolton | 1st of 20 in Bolton Stronger figure | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Strong | Ofsted: Strong | |
| School type | Academy sponsor led | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-16 | 11-16 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Girls | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,055 | 774 | |
| Capacity | 990 | 750 | |
| Location | Bolton, BL3 3HH | Bolton, BL3 6TQ | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 48.9 | 56.5 Stronger figure | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 54.4% | 59.7% Stronger figure | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 70.6% | 79.9% Stronger figure | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 204 | 149 | |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,077 | 752 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 46.8% | 39.0% | |
| English as an additional language | 57.8% | 82.4% | |
| SEN support | 13.3% | 3.1% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 2.6% | 1.5% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 7.6% | 6.2% Stronger figure | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 23.2% | 16.3% Stronger figure | 15.8% |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
GCSE Attainment 8
GCSE Progress 8
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Ethnicity over time
One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.
Essa Academy
Bolton Muslim Girls School
Full profiles: Essa Academy · Bolton Muslim Girls School