Harper Green School

About Harper Green School

Harper Green School in Bolton was rated Good in its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023, a notable improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2020. The school’s Progress 8 score sits at -0.11, which places it in the ‘Average’ band nationally and ranks it 14th out of 22 secondary schools in the local authority. This is below the Bolton LA average Progress 8 score of 0.07, but the school’s Attainment 8 score of 42.9 shows that pupils are achieving solid results across their best eight subjects. The basics measure, which tracks pupils achieving a grade 5 or above in both English and maths, stands at 35.2 per cent, while 57.6 per cent achieved a grade 4 or above in those subjects. The school’s English Progress 8 score is positive at 0.05, suggesting that pupils make slightly better progress in English than the national average, though maths progress is weaker at -0.32.

Ofsted’s 2023 report gave the school Good marks across all five categories: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. The school has 1,126 pupils on roll, with 45 per cent eligible for free school meals, which is significantly above the national average. The Ebacc entry rate is 22.4 per cent, with 15.2 per cent of pupils achieving a grade 4 or above in the Ebacc subjects, and 10 per cent achieving a grade 5 or above. The school’s Ebacc average point score is 3.66. In terms of rankings, Harper Green sits in the bottom 50 per cent nationally on Progress 8, but within the North West region it ranks 205th out of 445 schools, placing it just above the midpoint. The school does not have a sixth form, so pupils leave at 16.

The school is oversubscribed for 2025/26, with 278 applications for 229 places, and 91 first-preference offers made. Facilities include a theatre, music rooms, art studios, science labs, and a gymnasium, plus playing fields for sports like rugby, football, and swimming. The school offers a wide range of clubs including coding, chess, orchestra, and Young Enterprise. SEND provisions cover specific learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language needs, hearing and visual impairments, and autistic spectrum disorder. Harper Green is a good fit for families in Bolton who want a large, inclusive secondary school that has improved its Ofsted rating and offers strong pastoral support, though those prioritising top-tier academic progress may want to compare it with higher-ranked local schools like Bolton Muslim Girls School or Sharples School.

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