Smithills SchoolEden Boys' School, Bolton
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Bolton.
Summary of the comparison
Smithills School and Eden Boys' School, Bolton are secondary schools in Bolton.
Smithills School scores 46 out of 100 (grade D, below average) and Eden Boys' School, Bolton scores 76 out of 100 (grade B, strong). Eden Boys' School, Bolton is ahead on our composite score.
Smithills School was judged in need of attention and Eden Boys' School, Bolton was judged Outstanding.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 36.5 for Smithills School and 53.0 for Eden Boys' School, Bolton.
GCSE Attainment 8 has held broadly level at Smithills School (38.4 in 2021-22, 36.5 in 2024-25) and has risen at Eden Boys' School, Bolton (50.6 in 2021-22, 53.0 in 2024-25).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | BoltonSmithills School | BoltonEden Boys' School, Bolton | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | D46/100 | B76/100Stronger figure | |
| Local ranking | 16th of 20 in Bolton | 2nd of 20 in Bolton Stronger figure | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Needs attention | Ofsted: OutstandingStronger figure | |
| School type | Academy converter | Free schools | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-16 | 11-18 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Boys | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,201 | 623 | |
| Capacity | 1,250 | 800 | |
| Location | Bolton, BL1 6JS | Bolton, BL1 3QE | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 36.5 | 53.0 Stronger figure | 46.0 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 20.1% | 58.5% Stronger figure | 45.4% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 47.0% | 80.5% Stronger figure | 64.8% |
| Entering EBacc | 32.1% | 84.6% Stronger figure | 40.5% |
| EBacc average point score | 3.25 | 5.02 Stronger figure | 4.09 |
| Cohort | 234 | 123 | |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,201 | 623 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 42.4% | 33.4% | |
| English as an additional language | 58.8% | 68.7% | |
| SEN support | 12.3% | 9.0% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 2.0% | 4.0% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 9.4% | 4.6% Stronger figure | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 28.2% | 11.2% 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.
Smithills School
Eden Boys' School, Bolton
Full profiles: Smithills School · Eden Boys' School, Bolton