Essa AcademyMount St Joseph RC High School a Voluntary Academy
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Bolton.
Summary of the comparison
Essa Academy and Mount St Joseph RC High School a Voluntary Academy are secondary schools in Bolton.
Essa Academy scores 71 out of 100 (grade B, strong) and Mount St Joseph RC High School a Voluntary Academy scores 41 out of 100 (grade D, below average). Essa Academy is ahead on our composite score.
Essa Academy was judged strong and Mount St Joseph RC High School a Voluntary Academy was judged Requires improvement.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 48.9 for Essa Academy and 41.5 for Mount St Joseph RC High School a Voluntary Academy.
GCSE Attainment 8 has risen at Essa Academy (45.8 in 2021-22, 48.9 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | BoltonEssa Academy | BoltonMount St Joseph RC High School a Voluntary Academy | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | B71/100Stronger figure | D41/100 | |
| Local ranking | 4th of 20 in Bolton Stronger figure | 20th of 20 in Bolton | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: StrongStronger figure | Ofsted: Requires improvement | |
| School type | Academy sponsor led | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-16 | 11-16 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,055 | 895 | |
| Capacity | 990 | 900 | |
| Location | Bolton, BL3 3HH | Bolton, BL4 0HT | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 48.9 Stronger figure | 41.5 | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 54.4% Stronger figure | 38.8% | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 70.6% Stronger figure | 53.9% | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 204 | 178 | |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,077 | 901 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 46.8% | 36.3% | |
| English as an additional language | 57.8% | 40.6% | |
| SEN support | 13.3% | 14.8% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 2.6% | 4.1% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 7.6% Stronger figure | 10.2% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 23.2% Stronger figure | 30.9% | 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
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Full profiles: Essa Academy · Mount St Joseph RC High School a Voluntary Academy