Other independent school · independent

Bolton School Boys' Division

Boys · ages 7–18 · with sixth form · selective (grammar)Bolton, North West · Bolton BL1 4PASchool website
Pupils on roll
1,131of 1,180 places
Free school meals
Year 11 cohort 2025
131
Ofsted
Not covered by Ofsted school inspections
What the data says

The Department for Education has not published where Bolton School Boys' Division’s Year 11 leavers went next (destination measures are not published for independent schools), so this page relies on the school’s results and subjects.

German is unusually popular at GCSE: 29% of the year group took it, against 5% of pupils across England.

Most pupils take the three separate sciences: at least 68% sat Biology, Chemistry and Physics as individual GCSEs, compared with about 23% nationally.

A level grades average B, above the England average of B-; 34% of students achieved AAB or better including two facilitating subjects (England 18%). The largest A level subjects are Mathematics, Chemistry and Biology.

Where pupils went after Year 11

Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Bolton and England.

The Department for Education has not published destination figures for this school (new school, small cohort or not a state-funded school).

Where students went after sixth form

Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.

No published destinations for sixth-form leavers yet.

GCSE results 2025

MeasureBolton School Boys' DivisionBoltonEngland
Attainment 8 (average points per pupil)34.345.746.1
Grade 5 or above in English and maths0%44%45%
Grade 4 or above in English and maths0%65%65%
Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects0%33%41%
EBacc average point score3.053.954.09
Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort32%28%
Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils36.634.9
Attainment 8 — other pupils49.850.4
Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2)
English as an additional language29%19%

Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.

Subjects taken at GCSE

Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEnglandGrades 7–9EnglandGrades 4–9
Biology8968%23%46%45%100%
Physics8968%23%60%46%100%
Chemistry8968%23%54%47%100%
Design and Technology4937%11%41%23%92%
Physical Education4434%11%23%24%91%
French4434%18%50%29%91%
Combined Science4232%65%7%9%95%
Spanish3829%19%24%27%76%
German3829%5%42%33%95%
Classical Civilisation3728%1%16%40%81%
Religious Studies3325%31%39%32%100%
Electronics3325%0%76%70%94%
Music1713%5%71%33%100%
Russian1612%0%56%87%100%
Art and Design1511%7%13%24%100%
Latin75%1%86%74%100%
Astronomy65%0%50%29%100%
Classical Greek22%0%92%
Chinese11%1%75%

Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Music performance: Group22%
Music performance: Group11%

A levels and other level 3 courses

MeasureBolton School Boys' DivisionBoltonEngland
Students at the end of 16–18 study217
— of whom A level students101825261,341
Average A level gradeBC+B-
Average points per A level entry40.3634.5035.00
Average grade, best 3 A levelsBC+B-
AAB or better with two facilitating subjects34%13%18%
Average grade, applied general courses
Average grade, T levels

A level subjects

Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Mathematics5050%31%
Chemistry3030%17%
Biology2929%20%
Psychology2323%23%
Physics2323%12%
Economics1818%13%
Business Studies1818%13%
Further Mathematics1212%5%
Computer Science1111%5%
Geography1010%10%
History1010%13%
Politics77%6%
D and T Engineering66%0%
Graphic Communication66%2%
Electronics66%0%
English Language66%4%
Spanish66%2%
Classical Civilisation1%
German0%
Chinese0%
Art and Design1%
Latin0%
Music0%
Physical Education3%
Drama2%
Product Design2%
Religious Studies4%
Classical Greek0%
Russian0%
English Literature11%
French1%

Applied, technical and other level 3 courses

SubjectQualificationEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Study SkillsExtended Project (Diploma)1212%

Other secondary schools in Bolton

Canon Slade School

Academy converter · sixth form · 1,724 pupils

91% stayed in education · Attainment 8 53.9

Essa Academy

Academy sponsor led · 1,055 pupils

91% stayed in education · Attainment 8 53.0

Harper Green School

Academy converter · 1,070 pupils

77% stayed in education · Attainment 8 42.8

Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.