St Joseph's RC High School

Secondary
Local authority maintained
Ages 11 to 16

Ofsted judgements: Good

Sefton Lane, Horwich, Bolton, BL6 6HWOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

St Joseph's RC High School is a secondary school in Bolton for ages 11 to 16. It is one of the 142 schools in Bolton. It ranks 10th of 19 secondary schools in Bolton. Its latest Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, graded each key judgement and gave no overall Ofsted rating.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 18 March 2025, report published 8 May 2025

This inspection graded each key judgement and gave no overall effectiveness grade.

Quality of education: Good
Behaviour and attitudes: Good
Personal development: Good
Leadership and management: Good
Safeguarding: Met

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)

Exam results

GCSE results (key stage 4), 2024/25

207 pupils in the year group

Attainment 8 score44.8

44.8, 1.3 below the England average of 46.1.

Grade 5 or above in English and maths49.8%

49.8%, 4.4 percentage points above the England average of 45.4%.

Grade 4 or above in English and maths70%

70%, 5.2 percentage points above the England average of 64.8%.

Pupils entering the EBacc41.1%

41.1%, 0.6 percentage points above the England average of 40.5%.

EBacc average point score3.99

3.99, 0.1 below the England average of 4.09.

Pupil numbers and mix

1,047 pupils on roll, with places for 1,050

Eligible for free school meals21.5%

21.5%, 5 percentage points below the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language18.4%

18.4%, 3.2 percentage points below the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support10.8%

10.8%, 4 percentage points below the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan4.6%

4.6%, 1.4 percentage points below the England average of 6%.

Schools near St Joseph's RC High School

School	Distance	Ofsted	Results
Rivington and Blackrod High School	2 miles	Ofsted: Good	Attainment 8: 49.2
Ladybridge High School	3 miles	Ofsted: Good	Attainment 8: 41.7
Westhoughton High School	3 miles	Report card: Urgent improvement to expected standard	Attainment 8: 44.4
Bolton School Girls' Division	3 miles	No Ofsted inspection	Attainment 8: 55.2
Smithills School	3 miles	Report card: Needs attention to expected standard	Attainment 8: 36.5

School details

School type: Voluntary aided school
Sector: Local authority maintained
Age range: 11 to 16
Gender: Mixed
Religious character: Roman Catholic
Sixth form: No
Headteacher: Mr A McCabe
Phone: 01204697456
Website: stjosephsbolton.org.uk (opens in a new tab)
Address: Sefton Lane, Horwich, Bolton, BL6 6HW
Local authority: Bolton
URN: 105262

School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.