St Joseph's RC High SchoolLadybridge High School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Bolton.
Summary of the comparison
St Joseph's RC High School and Ladybridge High School are secondary schools in Bolton.
St Joseph's RC High School scores 58 out of 100 (grade C, average) and Ladybridge High School scores 57 out of 100 (grade C, average). St Joseph's RC High School is ahead on our composite score.
St Joseph's RC High School was judged the expected standard and Ladybridge High School was judged Good.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 42.4 for St Joseph's RC High School and 45.8 for Ladybridge High School.
GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at St Joseph's RC High School (52.0 in 2021-22, 42.4 in 2025-26) and has held broadly level at Ladybridge High School (45.3 in 2021-22, 45.8 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | BoltonSt Joseph's RC High School | BoltonLadybridge High School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | C58/100Stronger figure | C57/100 | |
| Local ranking | 12th of 20 in Bolton Stronger figure | 13th of 20 in Bolton | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Voluntary aided school | Community school | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-16 | 11-16 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,047 | 1,136 | |
| Capacity | 1,050 | 1,140 | |
| Location | Bolton, BL6 6HW | Bolton, BL3 4NG | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 42.4 | 45.8 Stronger figure | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 40.0% Stronger figure | 38.6% | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 60.5% Stronger figure | 55.9% | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 205 | 202 | |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,051 | 1,123 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 22.3% | 37.0% | |
| English as an additional language | 18.5% | 37.2% | |
| SEN support | 9.0% | 10.2% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 3.0% | 2.0% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 7.2% Stronger figure | 7.9% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 21.3% Stronger figure | 23.5% | 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.
St Joseph's RC High School
Ladybridge High School
Full profiles: St Joseph's RC High School · Ladybridge High School