Thornleigh Salesian CollegeSmithills School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Bolton.
Summary of the comparison
Thornleigh Salesian College and Smithills School are secondary schools in Bolton.
Thornleigh Salesian College scores 52 out of 100 (grade D, below average) and Smithills School scores 48 out of 100 (grade D, below average). Thornleigh Salesian College is ahead on our composite score.
Thornleigh Salesian College was judged the expected standard and Smithills School was judged in need of attention.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 43.0 for Thornleigh Salesian College and 41.4 for Smithills School.
GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at Thornleigh Salesian College (51.3 in 2021-22, 43.0 in 2025-26) and has risen at Smithills School (38.4 in 2021-22, 41.4 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | BoltonThornleigh Salesian College | BoltonSmithills School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | D52/100Stronger figure | D48/100 | |
| Local ranking | 15th of 20 in Bolton Stronger figure | 16th of 20 in Bolton | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: GoodStronger figure | Ofsted: Needs attention | |
| School type | Voluntary aided school | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-18 | 11-16 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,574 | 1,203 | |
| Capacity | 1,650 | 1,250 | |
| Location | Bolton, BL1 6PQ | Bolton, BL1 6JS | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 43.0 Stronger figure | 41.4 | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 37.0% Stronger figure | 34.5% | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 56.5% Stronger figure | 56.2% | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 262 | 226 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | 90 | Not reported | |
| A-level average points | 36.3 | Not reported | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | B- | Not reported | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | 37.2 | Not reported | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | 13.5% | Not reported | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,576 | 1,201 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 29.6% | 42.4% | |
| English as an additional language | 9.8% | 58.8% | |
| SEN support | 12.8% | 12.3% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 2.2% | 2.0% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 8.5% Stronger figure | 9.4% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 24.0% Stronger figure | 28.2% | 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.
Thornleigh Salesian College
Smithills School
Full profiles: Thornleigh Salesian College · Smithills School