Kearsley Academy
Bolton, BL4 8HY · Bolton · secondary school
Check the area around this school
6th of 20 secondary schools in Bolton we can score. 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 482 of them, against 8.5/10 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 | 52 | 34% | 1.77 |
| Grade 5+ English & maths 2025/26 | 65.9 · 87 | 31% | 2.67 |
| Progress 8 2023/24 | 0.55 · 86 | 26% | 2.18 |
| Attainment 8 2025/26 | 51.1 · 74 | 10% | 0.76 |
Each measure is read as a position among comparable schools, so a school in the middle of the country scores 5. Full method.
Kearsley Academy overview
How it's doing
In 2024/25, 59.4% of pupils achieved Grade 5 or above in English and maths. Attainment 8 was 51.8, compared to the national median of 44.6. Progress 8 was +0.55 in 2023/24, indicating better progress than pupils nationally starting 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, 8.2 out of 10 against all schools). Ofsted rated the school Good in May 2022.
Getting in
The published school roll is 768 pupils against a stated capacity of 950. These whole-school figures do not establish entry-year vacancies or the likelihood of an offer. Confirm entry-year availability and admissions criteria with the school or local authority.
Worth asking on a visit
How does the school support pupils in raising their Attainment 8 scores further? What specific support is available for students who need to improve their Progress 8 outcomes? How does the school maintain its Good Ofsted rating following the 2022 inspection?
What Ofsted said about Kearsley Academy
Overview
Kearsley Academy is described as a place where pupils are “happy and proud” to attend, benefiting from “regular praise and encouragement” and high expectations from staff. The report highlights that leaders are “ambitious for all pupils,” including those with special educational needs, and that the curriculum is “appropriately designed” to provide breadth and depth of knowledge. Overall, the school is judged as “Good” across all inspection categories, marking an improvement from its previous rating.
Strengths
- Pupils are supported to be “confident and resilient learners” and appreciate help to “catch up quickly if they fall behind.”
- The curriculum is “ambitious,” with the English Baccalaureate at its heart, ensuring access to humanities and modern foreign languages.
- Teachers use “strong subject knowledge” to check learning and address misunderstandings, while leaders prioritise reading and vocabulary in key stage 3.
- Effective procedures are in place to identify and support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
- Pupils benefit from a “well-considered” personal development programme and a wide range of extra-curricular provision.
Areas to improve
- In key stage 4, some pupils do not read with “sufficient fluency and accuracy,” which hinders their access to the curriculum; leaders should continue to develop the reading curriculum for this group.
- Some staff do not apply behaviour management systems “consistently,” leading to occasional disruptions in learning, though leaders are addressing this.
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are “effective,” with leaders being “knowledgeable about, and proactive in responding to, local safeguarding issues” and working well with multi-agencies to support pupils and families.
Results over time
Attainment 8, the years we hold.
| Year | Attainment 8 |
|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 51.4 |
| 2024/25 | 51.8 |
| 2025/26 | 51.1 |
| England | 44.9 |
Source: DfE Explore Education Statistics. “England” is the median of the 3,682 state schools in England we hold a 2025/26 figure for — a school-level median, not the DfE's pupil-weighted national figure.
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.
Next dates
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2026
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2027
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2027
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2028
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