Thornleigh Salesian College
96%
Capacity
1,576
Pupils
2.9x
Demand
About Thornleigh Salesian College
Eighty per cent of parents who responded to Ofsted's Parent View survey would recommend Thornleigh Salesian College, a large Roman Catholic secondary in Bolton with a sixth form. That figure comes from 186 responses collected between September 2024 and September 2025, and it sits alongside some notably strong individual scores: 82 per cent of parents agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy, and 84 per cent felt their child is safe. The school is heavily oversubscribed for Year 7 entry in 2025/26, receiving 748 applications for 262 places — an oversubscription ratio of 2.85. Of those, 289 put Thornleigh as their first preference, and 246 first-preference offers were made. That level of demand suggests the school holds a strong reputation locally, even though its most recent Ofsted inspection in October 2024 rated overall effectiveness as 'not judged' (the school was inspected under the new framework), with leadership and management and quality of education both marked as 'requires improvement'.
Academically, Thornleigh's results sit below both the national and local averages. Its Progress 8 score for the 2023/24 cohort was -0.22, placing it 16th out of 19 schools in Bolton and in the bottom 50 per cent nationally. The local authority average Progress 8 score for Bolton is 0.07, so Thornleigh's figure is notably weaker. The school's Attainment 8 score was 44.8, and 44.6 per cent of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths. In the EBacc, just 11.6 per cent of pupils achieved the benchmark, and the EBacc average point score was 3.86. At A-level, the picture is mixed: the sixth form was rated 'good' by Ofsted, and the average points per entry was 32.9 (equivalent to a C+ grade). However, the value-added score for A-levels was -0.24, classed as 'below average', and only 11.5 per cent of entries achieved AAB or higher.
The school is well equipped with facilities including a sports hall, playing fields, music rooms, art studios, science labs, a chapel and a dedicated sixth form centre. It offers a wide range of sports and clubs, from cricket and rugby to orchestra and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. SEND provision covers eight categories, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health support — though the Parent View data on SEND support is more divided, with 33 per cent strongly agreeing support is adequate but 21 per cent disagreeing. With 28.9 per cent of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a relatively disadvantaged intake. Thornleigh is a good fit for Catholic families in Bolton who value a faith-based secondary with a strong sense of community and a busy extracurricular offer, but who are comfortable with a school that is currently navigating an 'requires improvement' rating for its core academic provision.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Roman Catholic |
| Address | Sharples Park, Bolton, Bolton, BL1 6PQ |
| Headteacher | Michael Fitzsimons |
| Local Authority | Bolton |
| Number of Pupils | 1,576 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 28.9% |
| School Capacity | 1,576 / 1,650 (96% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
22 Oct 2024Quality of Education
Requires improvement
Since Sep 2024, Ofsted no longer assigns a single overall grade
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 27 Nov 2024. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.22)
2070th of 3,141
Nationally
249th of 445
In North West
16th of 19
In Bolton
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make less progress than similar students nationally
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.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
36.4
'22/23
34.8
'23/24
32.9
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2352%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 229 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)52%
- FE college28%
- Employment6%
- Sixth form college5%
- Not sustained4%
- Apprenticeship3%
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.
Where school leavers go
2022/2365%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 122 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
20%
Russell Group
23%
Top-third HE
1%
Oxford / Cambridge
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)65%
- Employment24%
- Apprenticeship6%
- Not sustained2%
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- Psychology39
- Business Studies:Single35
- History35
- Economics31
- Mathematics25
- Sociology25
- Chemistry16
- Biology14
- Art and Design (Graphics)10
- Physics10
- Art and Design (Fine Art)8
- English Language8
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.
Ofsted Parent View
186 responsesWould Recommend This School
Source: Ofsted Parent View (GOV.UK statistical data), Sep – Sep 2025
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
9Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
16Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed262
748
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
289 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 75% of schools in England.
Better than 75% 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
2024/25Above the national average (25%) — higher-disadvantage intake.
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British72.0%
- Asian9.6%
- White (other)7.3%
- Mixed4.5%
- Black0.8%
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.
15
Total schools
15
Oversubscribed
11
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 Thornleigh Salesian College
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
Sharples Park, Bolton
Bolton, BL1 6PQ
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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