Bolton School Boys' Division

Independent school · Boys · ages 7–18 · with sixth form · selective (grammar)Bolton, Bolton BL1school website

An independent school in Bolton for ages 7–18: destination measures are not published for independent schools, so this page relies on the school’s own results and subjects.

Ofsted
—
Places
—
Pupils
1,131

Ofsted: Not covered by Ofsted school inspections. Places: the last distance at which places were offered is not on file (it comes from Bolton’s allocation statistics). Pupils: of 1,180 places, including the sixth form.

After Year 11 · age 16

Where do pupils go at 16?

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

After sixth form · age 18

Where do sixth-formers go at 18?

No published destinations for sixth-form leavers yet.

Universities · named

Which universities did they go to?

1university has told us how many applied, were offered a place and enrolled

Named universities — most schools do not publish this; the official DfE figures above only say how many went to university and how selective those universities were.

universities’ answers to sch.today’s Freedom of Information requests · request tracker

What universities’ own admissions data say3

For each entry year: how many of this school’s students applied, received an offer and enrolled. Counts under five are shown as “<5” to protect individuals. Applications exclude Clearing; enrolments are students who completed registration.

UniversityEntry yearAppliedOffersEnrolled
University of Bristol2025106—
20245<5—
20232010<5

A university’s enrolment count and a school’s own destinations list can differ: the school counts places accepted in the summer, the university counts students registered in the autumn.

GCSE · Year 11 · 2025

How do GCSE results compare?

34.3Attainment 8 score, out of 90
This school34.3
Bolton45.7
England46.1

Attainment 8 — average GCSE points across eight subjects, English and maths counted twice; grade 5 in everything scores 50. Not comparable for independent schools, which often enter pupils for IGCSEs that the Department for Education does not count.

DfE performance tables 2024/2025 · 131 pupils in Year 11

0% got grade 5 or above in both English and maths (Bolton 44%, England 45%).

Grade 5 — a “strong pass”; grade 4 is a “standard pass”. Progress 8 is not published for 2025: this cohort had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020–21, so there is no baseline.

All GCSE measures10
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 cohort—32%28%
Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils—36.634.9
Attainment 8 — other pupils—49.850.4
Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2)———
English as an additional language—29%19%
Subjects · 2025

What do pupils study?

37.26%of the Key Stage 3, GCSE and A level curriculum mapped by the subjects taken here

Mapped — the share of the 3,288 learning outcomes the Department for Education sets for these stages that the subjects taken here cover, weighted by how many pupils take each.

DfE subject entries 2025 · curriculum catalogue by sch.today

German stands out at GCSE — 29% of the year group took it, against 5% across England.

Natural Sciences56%
Green & Sustainability55%
Health & Safety53%
Engineering & Manufacturing48%
Language & Communication45%

Fields of knowledge — twelve fields the curriculum catalogue sorts every learning outcome into; the bars show the GCSE and A level ring.

GCSE subjects19

Entries 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 qualifications2
SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Music performance: Group22%—
Music performance: Group11%—
A level subjects31

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 Civilisation——1%
German——0%
Chinese——0%
Art and Design——1%
Latin——0%
Music——0%
Physical Education——3%
Drama——2%
Product Design——2%
Religious Studies——4%
Classical Greek——0%
Russian——0%
English Literature——11%
French——1%
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses1
SubjectQualificationEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Study SkillsExtended Project (Diploma)1212%—
A level results8
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———
Fields of knowledge, all stages12
Natural Sciences65%
Green & Sustainability63%
Health & Safety61%
Language & Communication57%
Engineering & Manufacturing53%
Transversal Skills47%
Mathematics & Statistics33%
Digital & ICT Skills19%
Arts & Humanities13%
Business & Administration12%
Social & Cultural Skills10%
Law & Public Administration9%

Ideas pupils meet most, weighted by the share of the cohort taking the subjects that teach them:

vocabulary 8.2energy transfer 8.0particle model 7.7graph 7.1fraction 6.4opinion 6.2adaptation 5.9change of state 5.8force 5.8temperature 5.7percentage 5.6inference 5.6vector 5.5ratio 5.4mathematical model 5.3photosynthesis 5.3translation 5.3equilibrium 5.2standard form 5.0scale 4.9reflection 4.8gradient 4.8surface area to volume ratio 4.8observation 4.7

Coverage counts a subject’s outcomes in proportion to the share of the cohort entered for it; Combined Science counts as two thirds of the three separate sciences. Levels follow ISCED 2011 as UNESCO maps it for the UK: Key Stage 3 is ISCED 2; GCSE and A level are both ISCED 3. Methodology: about the data.

Careers

Which jobs use what’s taught here?

12apprenticeship standards closely match the subjects pupils take

A match of what’s taught, not of entry requirements: the standards whose knowledge and skills share the most ideas with the GCSEs and A levels taken here, weighted by how many pupils take each subject.

Level 3 / Level 6 — England’s qualification levels: 3 is A level standard, 4–5 are higher apprenticeships, 6 is a bachelor’s degree.

Skills England apprenticeship standards (Open Government Licence v3.0) · ESCO occupations, © European Union, matched by sch.today · how the match works

Water industry asset maintenance technicianLevel 3 (advanced) apprenticeship · engineering and manufacturing · uses unit conversion, ratio, scale from Business Studies, Computer Science, Economics and 11 more · jobs: consumer electronics repair technician, industrial electrician, electrician
ScientistLevel 6 degree apprenticeship · health and science · uses conclusion, experimental design, sampling technique from Biology, Chemistry, Further Mathematics and 8 more · jobs: physicist, analytical chemist, geneticist
Process industry manufacturing technicianLevel 3 (advanced) apprenticeship · engineering and manufacturing · uses conservation of mass, energy change, unit conversion from Biology, Further Mathematics, Chemistry and 5 more · jobs: chemical engineering technician, chemical manufacturing quality technician, chemical production manager
More apprenticeships9
Geoscientist (integrated degree)Level 6 degree apprenticeship · health and science · uses climate change, data interpretation, conduct field work from Business Studies, Computer Science, Geography and 5 more · jobs: geologist, geological engineer, exploration geologist
Science manufacturing technician 2023Level 3 (advanced) apprenticeship · engineering and manufacturing · uses unit conversion, dna, mixture from Biology, Biology, Chemistry and 2 more · jobs: pharmaceutical engineer, chemical manufacturing quality technician, pharmacy technician
Battery manufacturing technicianLevel 3 (advanced) apprenticeship · engineering and manufacturing · uses unit conversion, resistance, periodic table from Chemistry, Physics, Chemistry and 3 more · jobs: battery test technician
Aerospace engineerLevel 6 degree apprenticeship · engineering and manufacturing · uses equilibrium, friction, composite from Further Mathematics, Mathematics, Chemistry and 2 more · jobs: aerodynamics engineer, aerospace engineer, aircraft maintenance technician
Water industry network technicianLevel 3 (advanced) apprenticeship · engineering and manufacturing · uses unit conversion, standard form, ph scale from Biology, Chemistry, Design and Technology and 3 more · jobs: sewerage network operative, product quality inspector, sewerage maintenance technician
Keeper and aquaristLevel 3 (advanced) apprenticeship · agriculture, environmental and animal care · uses adaptation, sampling technique, temperature from Biology, Psychology, Biology and 1 more · jobs: animal care attendant, zookeeper, zoo section leader
Non-destructive technologies technicianLevel 3 (advanced) apprenticeship · engineering and manufacturing · uses si unit, ratio, data presentation from Business Studies, Economics, Mathematics and 5 more
Junior visual effects - VFX artist or assistant technical director - ATDLevel 4 (higher) apprenticeship · creative and design · uses scale, data collection, data structure from Computer Science, Psychology, Art and Design and 6 more · jobs: 3D modeller, technical director, animation layout artist
Biomedical scientistLevel 6 degree apprenticeship · health and science · uses data presentation, si unit, experimental design from Biology, Mathematics, Biology and 1 more · jobs: biomedical scientist, specialist biomedical scientist, biomedical scientist advanced
Admissions

How do you get a place?

Independent schools admit directly and set their own dates and entrance tests; council allocation statistics do not cover them.

  1. Year 6Register with the school; entrance assessments are usually in the autumn or January, offers in February
  2. Dec–FebYear 11: apply directly to the sixth form; most close applications in these months
Bolton

Compare with nearby schools

Stayed in education at 16 · Attainment 8 · pupils

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.