SecondaryState · Academy converter

Smithills School

Smithills Dean Road, Smithills School, Bolton, Lancashire, BL1 6JS ·

Report card: areas need attention· 2026

At a glance

A state secondary academy for ages 11–16 in Bolton. Ofsted report card (March 2026): areas need attention. GCSE results are well below the England average (Attainment 8: 36.5 vs 46.1, 2024/25). 127 families put it first for 226 places (September 2026 entry).

Ages: 11–16
Pupils: 1,203
Gender: Mixed
Sixth form: No
Admissions: Non-selective
Local authority: Bolton
Academy trust: THE BOLTON IMPACT TRUST
Headteacher: Ms Carolyn Dewse
Opened: Jan 2014

School website 01204842382 Explore the area

Inspection

Ofsted report card (renewed framework)

Read reports

Inspected 31 Mar 2026Published 7 Jun 2026

SafeguardingMet
InclusionExpected standard
Curriculum and teachingNeeds attention
AchievementNeeds attention
Attendance and behaviourExpected standard
Personal development and well-beingNeeds attention
Leadership and governanceNeeds attention

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”.

Inspection reports describe the school on the day. Read the full report and visit the school before deciding.

Exam results

Department for Education performance tables

GCSE results, 2024/25 · 234 pupils

Attainment 8

36.5

England 46.1

Grade 5+ Eng & maths

20.1%

England 45.4%

Grade 4+ Eng & maths

47%

England 64.8%

Progress 8

-0.04

2023/24 · CI -0.25 to 0.18

This school

36.5

Bolton

45.7

England

46.1

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

Search for your address on the map to see straight-line distances to schools.

Year 7 entry, September 2026 (national offer day data)

Offers made

226

1st preferences

127

All applications

342

1st prefs per place

0.56

Fewer first choices than places

127 of 127 first-preference applicants were offered a place (100%). 2 offers went to families living in another council area.

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.

How places are allocated: you apply through your home council. When a school has more applicants than places, it applies its published oversubscription criteria in order. These usually start with looked-after children, then siblings, then catchment or distance; faith schools may prioritise church attendance. Children with an EHC plan naming the school are admitted first. Apply on GOV.UK

Pupils

School census 2024/25

Pupils

1,201

Capacity

1,250

96% full

Girls / boys

52/48

Mixed

Eligible for free school meals (last 6 years)42.4%
English as an additional language58.8%
SEN support12.3%
Education, Health and Care plan2%
The black tick shows the median for state-funded secondary schools in England.