Classpot

Bolton St Catherine's Academy

Bolton, BL2 4HUSecondaryAges 3–16MixedState
Ofsted Inspection
Ofsted inspected
4 Good · 1 Requires improvement
Mar 2025
Progress 8
-0.71
Well below average
−20+2
Competition
0.6×
Not oversubscribed
90 1st-choice / 145 places
Ranking
#2,859
of 3,141 nationally

About Bolton St Catherine's Academy

Just over six in ten parents who responded to Ofsted's Parent View survey between September 2024 and September 2025 said they would recommend Bolton St Catherine's Academy. That's 63 per cent saying yes, against 37 per cent who would not. The school received 114 responses in total, which gives a reasonable sense of how families feel. On specific questions, the picture is mixed. A strong majority agreed that their child can take part in clubs and activities, with 90 per cent in agreement. Similarly, 82 per cent agreed there is a good range of subjects available. But when it comes to how concerns are handled, opinion is more divided: 50 per cent agreed they are dealt with properly, while 34 per cent disagreed. The school is slightly oversubscribed for Year 7 entry in 2025/26, with 152 applications for 145 places, and 89 of those offers went to first-preference families. That oversubscription ratio of 1.05 suggests demand is modest but real.

Key Details

School TypeSecondary (State)
Age Range3 to 16 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterChurch of England
AddressStitch MI Lane, Bolton, Bolton, BL2 4HU
HeadteacherGareth Watson
Local AuthorityBolton
Number of Pupils1,020
Free School Meals (FSM)51.5%
School Capacity1,020 / 1,186 (86% full)

Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

11 Mar 2025
View Report
Quality of Education
Requires improvement
Behaviour & Attitudes
Good
Personal Development
Good
Leadership & Management
Good
Early Years Provision
Good

From September 2024, Ofsted no longer assigns a single overall grade in inspections of state-funded schools.

Source: Ofsted, 28 Apr 2025. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

10
ICT SuiteSports HallTennis CourtsSixth Form CentreDining HallSwimming PoolMusic RoomsPlaying FieldsTheatreChapel

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

16

Sports

FootballTennisBadmintonBasketballGymnasticsNetballSwimmingHockeyRugbyRounders

Clubs & Activities

NewspaperEco ClubOrchestraDramaDebateCoding

Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.

SEND Support

SEN Unit
AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguageHearingPhysicalLearning DifficultySEN UnitResourced Provision

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

School day

Verified

Teaching hours

08:30 – 15:20

Source: boltonstcatherinesacademy.org.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.

Was this page helpful?

Frequently Asked Questions About Bolton St Catherine's Academy

Bolton St Catherine's Academy has been rated "Requires Improvement" by Ofsted. This means the school is not yet good, but inspectors believe it can improve with the right support and changes.