Essa Academy
Lever Edge Lane, Bolton, Greater Manchester, BL3 3HH ·
At a glance
A state secondary academy for ages 11–16 in Bolton. Ofsted report card (January 2026): strong areas. GCSE results are above the England average (Attainment 8: 53.0 vs 46.1, 2024/25). Oversubscribed: 222 families put it first for 200 places (September 2026 entry).
- Ages
- 11–16
- Pupils
- 1,055
- Gender
- Mixed
- Sixth form
- No
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Local authority
- Bolton
- Academy trust
- NORTHERN EDUCATION TRUST
- Headteacher
- Mrs Mel Flynn
- Opened
- Jan 2009
Inspection
Ofsted report card (renewed framework)
- SafeguardingMet
- InclusionStrong standard
- Curriculum and teachingStrong standard
- AchievementStrong standard
- Attendance and behaviourStrong standard
- Personal development and well-beingStrong standard
- Leadership and governanceStrong standard
Report cards grade each area separately on a five-point scale, from Urgent improvement to Exceptional. There is no single overall grade, and results are not directly comparable with earlier grades such as “Good”.
Exam results
Department for Education performance tables
GCSE results, 2024/25 · 200 pupils
Attainment 8 over time
Progress 8 isn't published for 2024/25 because those pupils had no KS2 test results (tests were cancelled in 2020). Exams were not held in 2019/20 or 2020/21.
Admissions
Demand for places and how places are allocated
Year 7 entry, September 2026 (national offer day data)
188 of 222 first-preference applicants were offered a place (85%).
Catchment area
We don't have an official catchment boundary for this school. Many schools don't have one, and few councils publish boundaries as open data. We don't estimate catchments. Check the school's admissions policy or the council's admissions booklet.
Last distance offered
Not published nationally. Many councils publish the furthest distance offered for each school in their annual allocation reports. Past distances vary year to year with demand and sibling numbers, so they are not a guarantee.
Pupils
School census 2024/25
- Eligible for free school meals (last 6 years)46.8%
- English as an additional language57.8%
- SEN support13.3%
- Education, Health and Care plan2.6%
- The black tick shows the median for state-funded secondary schools in England.