Bolton Sixth Form College
N/A
Ofsted Rating
N/A
Capacity
N/A
Pupils
N/A
Demand
About Bolton Sixth Form College
Bolton Sixth Form College holds a Good rating from Ofsted, and its most recent exam data for the 2023/24 academic year paints a mixed picture. The college’s average points per entry for A-levels sits at 31.78, which equates to a grade of C+. The best three A-levels average grade is also C+, with a points score of 32.77. However, the value-added score is -0.16, placing the college in the ‘Below average’ progress banding. This means that, on average, students achieved slightly lower A-level grades than would be expected given their prior attainment at GCSE. Only 9.8 per cent of entries achieved the top AAB grades or higher. With 444 students in the cohort, it is a large sixth form, and the data suggests that while students leave with solid qualifications, the college is not currently adding significant academic value compared with national benchmarks.
The college’s performance sits within the context of Bolton’s wider state secondary landscape. The local authority average Progress 8 score for all schools is 0.07, which is broadly in line with the national average. Bolton Sixth Form College’s value-added score of -0.16 is therefore below this local benchmark. Among the top-performing schools in the area, Bolton Muslim Girls School leads with a ranking score of 1.06, followed by Sharples School at 0.86 and Essa Academy at 0.73. Only one of the 22 state secondary schools in Bolton is rated Outstanding by Ofsted, and that is Eden Boys’ School, located 1.9 kilometres away. For families prioritising academic value-added or top grades, these alternatives may be worth comparing, though they are all 11-16 or 11-18 schools rather than dedicated sixth form colleges.
On the practical side, the college offers a broad range of facilities including a theatre, music rooms, science labs, a library, and a swimming pool, plus extensive sports provision with gymnastics, rugby, basketball, and martial arts among the options. There are also numerous clubs such as Model UN, Young Enterprise, coding, and debate, which support wider personal development. As a 16-19 institution, it is a natural destination for students finishing GCSEs at other Bolton schools. The college does not have a religious character, and admissions are typically open to those who meet entry requirements for their chosen courses. For families looking for a large, well-equipped sixth form with a Good Ofsted rating and a solid, if not exceptional, academic profile, Bolton Sixth Form College is a practical choice within the local area.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 16 to 19 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Town Centre Campus, Bolton, Bolton, BL3 5BU |
| Headteacher | Stuart Merrills |
| Local Authority | Bolton |
GCSE Results
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
34.6
'22/23
32.0
'23/24
31.8
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where school leavers go
2022/2359%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 828 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
10%
Russell Group
12%
Top-third HE
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- University (HE)59%
- Employment19%
- Not sustained11%
- Apprenticeship7%
- Further education1%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Biology111
- Psychology106
- Chemistry93
- Mathematics65
- Sociology65
- Business Studies:Single64
- Economics52
- Accounting / Finance39
- Law35
- Computer Studies / Computing29
- English Literature25
- History24
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
Facilities
12Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
16Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
18
Total schools
15
Oversubscribed
14
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bolton Sixth Form College
Contact Information
Town Centre Campus, Bolton
Bolton, BL3 5BU
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
Parent Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience at Bolton Sixth Form College!
Write a Review