Ladybridge High SchoolEssa Academy
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Bolton.
Summary of the comparison
Ladybridge High School and Essa Academy are secondary schools in Bolton.
Ladybridge High School scores 57 out of 100 (grade C, average) and Essa Academy scores 71 out of 100 (grade B, strong). Essa Academy is ahead on our composite score.
Ladybridge High School was judged Good and Essa Academy was judged strong.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 45.8 for Ladybridge High School and 48.9 for Essa Academy.
GCSE Attainment 8 has held broadly level at Ladybridge High School (45.3 in 2021-22, 45.8 in 2025-26) and has risen at Essa Academy (45.8 in 2021-22, 48.9 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | BoltonLadybridge High School | BoltonEssa Academy | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | C57/100 | B71/100Stronger figure | |
| Local ranking | 13th of 20 in Bolton | 4th of 20 in Bolton Stronger figure | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: StrongStronger figure | |
| School type | Community school | Academy sponsor led | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-16 | 11-16 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,136 | 1,055 | |
| Capacity | 1,140 | 990 | |
| Location | Bolton, BL3 4NG | Bolton, BL3 3HH | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 45.8 | 48.9 Stronger figure | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 38.6% | 54.4% Stronger figure | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 55.9% | 70.6% Stronger figure | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 202 | 204 | |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,123 | 1,077 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 37.0% | 46.8% | |
| English as an additional language | 37.2% | 57.8% | |
| SEN support | 10.2% | 13.3% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 2.0% | 2.6% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 7.9% | 7.6% Stronger figure | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 23.5% | 23.2% 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.
Ladybridge High School
Essa Academy
Full profiles: Ladybridge High School · Essa Academy