Essa AcademyUniversity Collegiate School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Bolton.
Summary of the comparison
Essa Academy and University Collegiate School are secondary schools in Bolton.
Essa Academy scores 69 out of 100 (grade C, average) and University Collegiate School scores 44 out of 100 (grade D, below average). Essa Academy is ahead on our composite score.
Essa Academy was judged strong and University Collegiate School was judged the expected standard.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 53.0 for Essa Academy and 36.7 for University Collegiate School.
GCSE Attainment 8 has risen at Essa Academy (45.8 in 2021-22, 53.0 in 2024-25) and has risen at University Collegiate School (32.0 in 2021-22, 36.7 in 2024-25).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | BoltonEssa Academy | BoltonUniversity Collegiate School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | C69/100Stronger figure | D44/100 | |
| Local ranking | 4th of 20 in Bolton Stronger figure | 18th of 20 in Bolton | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: StrongStronger figure | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Academy sponsor led | University technical college | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-16 | 11-19 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,077 | 604 | |
| Capacity | 990 | 840 | |
| Location | Bolton, BL3 3HH | Bolton, BL3 5AG | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 53.0 Stronger figure | 36.7 | 46.0 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 54.0% Stronger figure | 30.8% | 45.4% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 75.0% Stronger figure | 40.7% | 64.8% |
| Entering EBacc | 19.5% Stronger figure | 11.0% | 40.5% |
| EBacc average point score | 4.43 Stronger figure | 3.14 | 4.09 |
| Cohort | 200 | 91 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | Not reported | 4 | |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,077 | 604 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 46.8% | 50.3% | |
| English as an additional language | 57.8% | 57.8% | |
| SEN support | 13.3% | 11.4% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 2.6% | 1.8% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 7.6% Stronger figure | 9.0% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 23.2% Stronger figure | 26.1% | 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
University Collegiate School
Full profiles: Essa Academy · University Collegiate School