Essa Academy
Lever Edge Lane, Bolton, BL3 3HH
1,055 pupils · 107% of 990 capacity
- Phase
- Secondary
- Type
- Academy sponsor led
- Ages
- 11–16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Trust
- NORTHERN EDUCATION TRUST
- Local authority
- Bolton
- Free school meals
- 49%
Ofsted
Strong standard (2026) — Report card — the most common grade across the inspected areas
| Inclusion | Strong standard |
|---|---|
| Curriculum and teaching | Strong standard |
| Achievement | Strong standard |
| Attendance and behaviour | Strong standard |
| Personal development and wellbeing | Strong standard |
| Leadership and governance | Strong standard |
| Safeguarding | Met |
Inspected 20 January 2026, published 16 March 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 | 53 |
| Grade 5 or above in English & maths (strong pass) | 54% |
| Grade 4 or above in English & maths (standard pass) | 75% |
| Entering the English Baccalaureate | 19.5% |
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?
Roughly one first choice per place — 1.11 first-choice applications per place (Sept 2026 entry)
| Entry | Places | 1st preferences | Total preferences | Offers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 2026 entry | 200 | 222 | 578 | 200 |
| Sept 2025 entry | 204 | 196 | 584 | 204 |
| Sept 2024 entry | 203 | 214 | 600 | 203 |
| Sept 2023 entry | 237 | 182 | 544 | 237 |
| Sept 2022 entry | 229 | 171 | 486 | 229 |
| Sept 2021 entry | 209 | 149 | 489 | 209 |
| Sept 2020 entry | 191 | 119 | 449 | 179 |
| Sept 2019 entry | 179 | 124 | 422 | 179 |
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
- King's Leadership Academy Bolton 0.5 km · Good (2023) · previous system
- Bolton Muslim Girls School 1.1 km · No overall grade (2025)
- Mount St Joseph RC High School a Voluntary Academy 1.6 km · Requires improvement (2023) · previous system
- University Collegiate School 1.9 km · No overall grade (2024)
- Ladybridge High School 2.2 km · Good (2022) · previous system
- St James's Church of England High School 2.3 km · Good (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.