Westhoughton High School
Bolton Road, Bolton, BL5 3BZ
1,342 pupils · 99% of 1,350 capacity
- Phase
- Secondary
- Type
- Community school
- Ages
- 11–16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Does not apply
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Local authority
- Bolton
- Free school meals
- 23%
Ofsted
Needs attention (2026) — Report card — the most common grade across the inspected areas
| Inclusion | Needs attention |
|---|---|
| Curriculum and teaching | Needs attention |
| Achievement | Needs attention |
| Attendance and behaviour | Urgent improvement |
| Personal development and wellbeing | Expected standard |
| Leadership and governance | Needs attention |
| Safeguarding | Met |
Inspected 27 January 2026, published 8 June 2026. Read the full Ofsted report
England has three coexisting inspection systems — how we translate them into one signal.
Exam results
| Measure | 2024/25 |
|---|---|
| Attainment 8 score | 44.4 |
| Grade 5 or above in English & maths (strong pass) | 40.5% |
| Grade 4 or above in English & maths (standard pass) | 60.3% |
| Entering the English Baccalaureate | 6.6% |
Progress 8 is not published nationally for 2024/25 and 2025/26 while KS2 baselines are missing (no SATs in 2020/21). It returns from 2026/27.
“Not published (small cohort)” means the DfE suppressed the figure to protect small cohorts — it is not a zero.
Will my child get in?
Usually has places available — 0.86 first-choice applications per place (Sept 2026 entry)
| Entry | Places | 1st preferences | Total preferences | Offers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 2026 entry | 258 | 221 | 369 | 233 |
| Sept 2025 entry | 259 | 254 | 434 | 258 |
| Sept 2024 entry | 266 | 235 | 426 | 253 |
| Sept 2023 entry | 278 | 288 | 565 | 278 |
| Sept 2022 entry | 262 | 291 | 507 | 262 |
| Sept 2021 entry | 269 | 309 | 522 | 269 |
| Sept 2020 entry | 257 | 242 | 489 | 257 |
| Sept 2019 entry | 267 | 236 | 461 | 267 |
First-choice demand varies year to year, and the school’s admission criteria — not demand — decide who is offered a place. Use this as a rough signal, never a prediction.
Nearby alternatives
- Ladybridge High School 3.4 km · Good (2022) · previous system
- Atherton High School 3.4 km · Good (2024) · previous system
- Outwood Academy Hindley 3.6 km · No overall grade (2024)
- The Westleigh School 3.9 km · Good (2022) · previous system
- St Joseph's RC High School 4.3 km · No overall grade (2025)
- Fred Longworth High School 4.7 km · Good — confirmed 2022 · previous system
Straight-line distance — not travel time, and not a catchment. Same phase, open schools only.
Data from DfE and Ofsted open data (OGL v3) — sources. School record updated 10 July 2026. Report incorrect data.