Smithills School
96%
Capacity
1,201
Pupils
1.5x
Demand
About Smithills School
Smithills School sits within the Bolton local authority, a secondary state school for mixed pupils aged 11 to 16. In the most recent rankings based on Progress 8 scores, it placed 10th out of 19 schools in the borough, placing it just above the middle of the pack. The top-performing peers in Bolton include Bolton Muslim Girls School, Sharples School, and Essa Academy, all of which achieved significantly higher Progress 8 scores. Smithills’ own Progress 8 score of -0.04 is below the Bolton local authority average of 0.07, meaning pupils here make slightly less academic progress than their peers across the borough. The school is oversubscribed for the 2025/26 academic year, with 400 applications for 268 places and 156 first-preference offers, suggesting it remains a popular choice for local families despite its middling ranking.
Academically, Smithills School’s most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023 rated it as Requires Improvement overall, a downgrade from its previous Good rating in 2018. The inspection found that the quality of education and leadership and management both require improvement, while behaviour and attitudes and personal development were judged to be Good. At Key Stage 4, the school’s Attainment 8 score is 39.5, and 51.2% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths, compared with 29.5% achieving the more demanding grade 5 threshold. The EBacc average point score is 3.53, with 31.4% of pupils entering the EBacc combination and 15% achieving it at grade 5 or above. Progress 8 is broadly average nationally, with a banding of Average, though the school sits in the bottom 50% of schools nationally by this measure.
The school offers a wide range of facilities including a swimming pool, theatre, astro turf, science labs, music rooms, and art studios, and pupils can choose from sports such as badminton, tennis, swimming, football, and rugby. Clubs include orchestra, choir, gardening, debate, and eco club. SEND provisions cover nine categories, including specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, autistic spectrum disorder, and social, emotional and mental health needs. With 40.4% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a relatively disadvantaged catchment. Smithills is best suited to families who value a broad extracurricular offer and a supportive SEND framework, but who are aware that academic outcomes are currently below the local average and that the school is working through an improvement journey following its most recent Ofsted inspection.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 16 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Smithills Dean Road, Smithills School, Bolton, Bolton, BL1 6JS |
| Headteacher | Carolyn Dewse |
| Local Authority | Bolton |
| Number of Pupils | 1,201 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 40.4% |
| School Capacity | 1,201 / 1,250 (96% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
19 Sept 2023Overall Effectiveness
Requires improvement
Source: Ofsted, 23 Oct 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.04)
1612th of 3,141
Nationally
174th of 445
In North West
10th of 19
In Bolton
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make similar progress to students nationally with the same starting point
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/233%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 174 pupils).
- FE college43%
- Sixth form college42%
- Not sustained7%
- Employment5%
- School sixth form (stay)3%
- Apprenticeship1%
93% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
13Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
16Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed268
400
Balanced
Applications roughly match available places
156 families put this school as their 1st choice (39% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Better than half of schools in England.
Better than half of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Among the highest-disadvantage schools.
Among the highest 25% — a diverse linguistic intake.
Ethnic background
- Asian42.1%
- White British32.9%
- Mixed5.1%
- White (other)4.4%
- Black0.6%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
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.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
12
Total schools
11
Oversubscribed
9
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.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Smithills School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Smithills Dean Road, Smithills School, Bolton
Bolton, BL1 6JS
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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