Westhoughton High School

About Westhoughton High School

Westhoughton High School is currently rated Requires Improvement by Ofsted, following its most recent graded inspection in 2023. This marks a decline from its previous Good rating in 2015, with inspectors noting that the quality of education, personal development, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management all require improvement. The most telling academic metric is the school’s Progress 8 score of -0.64, which is classified as well below average nationally. This means that, on average, pupils achieved nearly two-thirds of a grade less per subject than students with similar starting points across England. In Bolton, where the local authority average Progress 8 score is 0.07, Westhoughton ranks 18th out of 22 state secondary schools. Its Attainment 8 score sits at 43.1, and just 39 per cent of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSEs, compared with 59.2 per cent at the standard pass threshold of grade 4.

The school’s EBacc entry rate is very low at 4.9 per cent, and only 1.9 per cent of pupils achieved the EBacc at grade 5 or above. The Progress 8 breakdown shows particular weakness in maths, where the score is -0.83, and in the EBacc subjects, where it is -0.81. English is the strongest pillar at -0.45, though still below average. In the North West region, Westhoughton ranks 371st out of 445 schools by Progress 8, placing it in the bottom 50 per cent nationally. The school does not have a sixth form, so all pupils leave at 16. For context, the top-performing school in Bolton, Bolton Muslim Girls School, has a Progress 8 score of 1.06, while the local authority has only one school rated Outstanding overall.

Westhoughton High School is a large secondary with 1,338 pupils on roll, close to its capacity of 1,350. It is oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, there were 254 first-preference applications for 259 places, with 236 first-preference offers made and a total of 434 applications overall. The school offers a wide range of facilities including a swimming pool, theatre, astro turf, sports hall, and science labs, plus clubs such as Drama, Eco Club, Coding, Model UN, and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. SEND provision covers seven areas including Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Speech, Language and Communication needs, and Social, Emotional and Mental Health support. With 22.9 per cent of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a relatively disadvantaged catchment. It will suit families who value strong facilities and a broad extracurricular offer, but who are prepared for a school that is actively working to improve its academic outcomes.

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