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Thornleigh Salesian College

Bolton, BL1 6PQSecondaryAges 11–18MixedState
Ofsted Inspection
Ofsted inspected
3 Good · 2 Requires improvement
Oct 2024
Progress 8
-0.22
Below average
−20+2
Competition
1.1×
Oversubscribed
289 1st-choice / 262 places
Ranking
#2,070
of 3,141 nationally

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'.

Key Details

School TypeSecondary (State)
Age Range11 to 18 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterRoman Catholic
AddressSharples Park, Bolton, Bolton, BL1 6PQ
HeadteacherMichael Fitzsimons
Local AuthorityBolton
Number of Pupils1,576
Free School Meals (FSM)28.9%
School Capacity1,576 / 1,650 (96% full)
Sixth FormYes

The full report on this school

What 186 parents told Ofsted, the inspection in plain English, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.

  • Ofsted inspection in plain English
    Strengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
  • Parent View survey results
    What parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
  • Where Ofsted and parents disagree
    Gaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
  • Admissions & catchment
    Admission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
  • Nearby schools compared
    Backup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
  • Attendance & behaviour data
    Persistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
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Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

22 Oct 2024
View Report
Quality of Education
Requires improvement
Behaviour & Attitudes
Good
Personal Development
Good
Leadership & Management
Requires improvement
Sixth Form Provision
Good

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

Source: Ofsted, 27 Nov 2024. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

9
Art StudiosScience LabsLibraryPlaying FieldsDining HallMusic RoomsSports HallChapelSixth Form Centre

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

16

Sports

CricketRugbyFootballSwimmingBasketballAthleticsBadmintonHockeyTennisGymnastics

Clubs & Activities

OrchestraEco ClubCodingDuke of EdinburghYoung EnterpriseDebate

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

SEND Support

AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguageHearingVisionPhysicalOther

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

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Frequently Asked Questions About Thornleigh Salesian College

Thornleigh Salesian College 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.