Tottington High School
90%
Capacity
875
Pupils
2.2x
Demand
About Tottington High School
Tottington High School is a popular choice among local families, with 337 applications for 153 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.2. Of those, 99 were first-preference offers, indicating strong demand despite the school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in May 2024 grading it as Requires Improvement overall. The inspection report, published in July 2024, noted that leadership and management remain Good, but behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and the quality of education all require improvement. The school has held a Good rating in the past — its previous graded inspection in 2012 rated overall effectiveness as Good — so the current rating represents a step back. With 28.8 per cent of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a community with above-average disadvantage, and its capacity of 975 currently houses 875 pupils, leaving some room for growth.
Academically, the school’s Progress 8 score of -0.65 is well below average, placing it 14th out of 14 schools in Bury and in the bottom 50 per cent nationally. This is significantly lower than the local authority average Progress 8 of -0.02. The Attainment 8 score sits at 40.4, and just 37.8 per cent of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths, compared with 61.2 per cent at grade 4 or above. The EBacc entry rate is low at 12.2 per cent, with only 6.9 per cent achieving the full EBacc at grade 5 or above. Progress in English and maths is negative, at -0.44 and -0.48 respectively, while open element progress is weakest at -0.99. The school’s EBacc average point score of 3.53 reflects modest outcomes across the core academic subjects.
The school offers a broad range of facilities including a theatre, swimming pool, gymnasium, astro turf, and tennis courts, plus specialist spaces for art, music, and ICT. Sports provision covers football, rugby, cricket, hockey, rowing, and martial arts, and there are clubs for Drama, Model UN, DofE, Chess, and Science Club among others. SEND support is well-developed, with provisions for autistic spectrum disorder, dyslexia, speech and language needs, and physical disabilities. There is no sixth form, so pupils leave at 16. For families weighing up options in Bury, Tottington is a heavily oversubscribed school that offers strong facilities and a Good-rated leadership team, but its academic outcomes are currently below the local average and the school is working to address the areas flagged by Ofsted.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 16 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Laurel Street, Bury, Bury, BL8 3LY |
| Headteacher | L Jaunbocus-Cooper |
| Local Authority | Bury |
| Number of Pupils | 875 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 28.8% |
| School Capacity | 875 / 975 (90% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
14 May 2024Overall Effectiveness
Requires improvement
Source: Ofsted, 4 Jul 2024. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.65)
2795th of 3,141
Nationally
372nd of 445
In North West
14th of 14
In Bury
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make significantly 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.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/231%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 170 pupils).
- Sixth form college45%
- FE college38%
- Apprenticeship6%
- Employment5%
- Not sustained5%
- School sixth form (stay)1%
95% 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
12Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
19Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed153
337
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
99 families put this school as their 1st choice (29% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:30 – 15:00
Source: tottington.bury.sch.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% 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
2024/25Above the national average (25%) — higher-disadvantage intake.
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British75.2%
- Asian14.6%
- Mixed3.1%
- White (other)1.1%
- Black0.2%
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.
7
Total schools
6
Oversubscribed
5
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 Tottington High 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
Laurel Street, Bury
Bury, BL8 3LY
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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