Secondary school league tables name Bolton's top schools

The Key Stage 4 data, which is subject to change, shows how well each high school in Bolton performed in this year's GCSEs.

The table shows the percentage of pupils achieving 9-4 grades in English and maths, together with stronger results of 9-5, in English and maths.

The percentage of pupils achieving the benchmark of five or more good GCSEs including English and maths has also been published.

Schools below are ranked by percentage of pupils achieving five or more good GCSES including English and maths.

In Bolton, grades achieved by Year 11 pupils were slightly higher than the national average, with 59 per cent of young people leaving school with five more good grades in their GCSEs including English and maths.

The top three schools were faith schools, and Sharples School was placed fourth in the table based on its GCSE results this summer, with its Progress 8 Score being well above average.

This measures how much progress pupils at this school made between the end of Key Stage 2 and the end of Key Stage 4, compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of Key Stage 2.

This is based on results in up to 8 qualifications, which include English, maths, three English Baccalaureate qualifications including sciences, computer science, history, geography and languages, and three other additional approved qualifications.

Canon Slade

Number one top performing schools is Canon Slade with 82 per cent of pupils achieve five or more good GCSEs including English and maths.

The top of the table was dominated by faith schools when measured on GCSE results this summer.

Chief Executive Officer Tania Lewyckyj said: "We are delighted with the results at Canon Slade School, which not only highlights great attainment, but also our young people’s progress throughout their time with us. This also helps us further develop the sharing of best practice across all of our trust schools."

Number 2 was Eden Boys School.

Arshad Ashraf, Principal at Eden Boys’ School, Bolton, said: “For the achievements of our pupils to be amongst the highest-performing state schools in England is truly humbling and inspires us every day to aim for new heights.

"To see the effort and devotion that our talented pupils put into their studies and the exceptional results they achieve is a source of great inspiration across the school. I would like to thank our wonderful staff and parents for their unwavering commitment to our pupils’ education.”

Sharples School was in the top five of Bolton schools after achieving its best GCSE results this year.

Headteacher Ann Webster said: "Our 2023 results are our best ever and they showcase, once again, our determination to maximise the progress of every child in our care. Our Progress 8 score is +0.82 which places us in the top three per cent of schools nationally. Behind the results there are many individual success stories and it is extremely rewarding to see our school leavers embarking on such ambitious Post 16 Pathways."

Bolton School despite being one of the best in the country was placed bottom in the league tables as teachers opt to teach the iGCSE.

Philip Britton, head of Bolton School Foundation said: "League tables like this are at best a very imperfect measure of any of the schools in Bolton and all they achieve together collaboratively for all our pupils.

"Our own position as ‘bottom of the league’ is an extreme example of an obvious problem with what is being measured. That comes about because of our belief that certain iGCSEs better prepare our students for their educational journey and the government refuses to recognise this qualification, which is widely accepted internationally and by Universities.’

"We do what is best for our pupils and their education and if that does not fit a league table format, then we do not change what we do.

"That is the great advantage of being an independent school. What was pleasing to see quite recently was that both our Girls’ Division and Boys’ Division ranked amongst the best independent schools in the North West in the Times’ Parent Power ranking. It took into consideration, not just our significant added value academically but also all the enrichment extras that we deliver as we seek to build resilience and character."