Essa Academy
Bolton, BL3 3HH · Bolton · secondary school
3rd of 19 secondary schools in Bolton we can score, 20 in total — the rest without enough published data. Local and same-phase on purpose: a national table mostly measures who attends.
Narrow the comparison to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds and it does better still — 9.6/10 against 406 of them, against 8.1/10 nationally. Both figures are results only, without the inspection grade. A lower figure here means a stronger comparison group, not a weaker school.
How this is worked out
| Measure | Percentile | Weight | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ofsted | 87 | 35% | 3.03 |
| Grade 5+ English & maths 2024/25 | 54.0 · 72 | 30% | 2.17 |
| Progress 8 2023/24 | 0.73 · 92 | 25% | 2.30 |
| Attainment 8 2024/25 | 53.0 · 81 | 10% | 0.81 |
Each measure is read as a position among comparable schools, so a school in the middle of the country scores 5. Full method.
Get to know the school
How it's doing. Essa Academy is rated Good by Ofsted, following an inspection in January 2026. In 2024/25, 54.0% of pupils achieved Grade 5 or above in English and maths. Attainment 8 was 53.0, compared to the national median of 44.6. Progress 8 was +0.73 in 2023/24, indicating pupils did better than those nationally who started from the same place. Narrow the comparison to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds and it does better still (9.6 out of 10 against similar schools, 8.1 out of 10 against all schools).
Getting in. The school has 1077 pupils in a capacity of 990, meaning it is over capacity by 87. The school is over its stated capacity, so places are competitive.
Worth asking on a visit. How does the school manage the high demand for places given it is currently over capacity? What specific support structures are in place to help pupils achieve the strong progress scores seen in recent data?
Written by AI from this school's published results, inspection record and its own website — not by Ofsted, the school, or SchoolsGPT staff. Every figure above comes from the sources on this page. Check anything that matters with the school.
Your offer chance
—Based on official applications/offers, distance and catchment where we have it. Bands only — never a percentage.
Sibling, faith, looked-after and other criteria can override distance. Always confirm with the school or local authority.
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