St James's Church of England High School

About St James's Church of England High School

St James's Church of England High School in Bolton posts a Progress 8 score of -0.07, which sits just below the local authority average of 0.07 for secondary schools. That difference is small enough to be statistically unremarkable, and the school's Progress 8 banding is officially rated as 'Average'. In practical terms, pupils here make roughly the same academic progress as their peers across Bolton, though the school ranks 13th out of 22 similar schools in the borough. Its attainment 8 score of 47.9 is solid, and 69.4% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in both English and maths — a strong basics pass rate. The school is heavily oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, 359 families put it as their first preference, and only 196 of those received an offer from 200 total places. That demand suggests local parents see real value here, even if the headline progress figure doesn't leap off the page.

Academically, the picture is more nuanced than the single Progress 8 number suggests. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022, the school was rated Good overall, but inspectors awarded Outstanding grades for personal development, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management. That's a notable achievement — three of the five graded categories at the highest level. The previous inspection in 2011 had rated the school Outstanding overall, so the 2022 judgement represents a slight drop, but the inspectors clearly found plenty to praise. On the EBacc measure, 30.1% of pupils entered the full suite of academic subjects, and 21.5% achieved a grade 4 or above in those subjects. The school's EBacc average point score of 4.17 is respectable. Breaking down Progress 8 by subject area, English comes in at -0.17, maths at -0.09, and the EBacc bucket at -0.08, while open subjects (like arts and vocational qualifications) are essentially flat at -0.01.

The school is a Church of England secondary for 11 to 16 year olds with no sixth form, so families will need to plan for post-16 options elsewhere. Facilities are generous for a state school: a swimming pool, theatre, chapel, astro turf, tennis courts, and dedicated music and art spaces. The sports programme includes rowing alongside more traditional offerings like football and rugby, and the clubs list features Duke of Edinburgh, Young Enterprise, and a coding club. SEND provision is comprehensive, covering everything from dyslexia and autistic spectrum disorder to physical disability and multi-sensory impairment. With 19.7% of pupils eligible for free school meals — above the national average — the school serves a diverse intake. It's a good fit for families who want a well-run, inclusive community school with strong pastoral care and a broad range of activities, and who are comfortable that academic outcomes are in line with, rather than ahead of, the local average.

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