School profile

Kearsley Academy

Secondary · Academy sponsor led · Bolton, BL4 8HY

Outstanding

Map showing Kearsley Academy

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#837 of 3,312

Better than 74% of schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

Kearsley Academy Ofsted rating

Ofsted report cardInspected 7 Jul 2026

Area360 rating
Outstanding
Inclusion
Strong standard
Curriculum and teaching
Exceptional
Achievement
Strong standard
Attendance and behaviour
Strong standard
Personal development and wellbeing
Strong standard
Leadership and governance
Strong standard
Safeguarding
Met

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy sponsor led
Ages11 to 16
Pupils768 of 893 places
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMr Jack Sutcliffe
TrustNORTHERN EDUCATION TRUST
Local authorityBolton
Opened01 Sept 2010
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 136135.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolBoltonEngland
Attainment 8 score51.145.346.2
Grade 4 or above in English and maths77.8%63.5%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and maths65.9%46.6%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and maths17.8%12.2%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths69.6%58.5%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4135--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Pupils

2025/26
MeasureThis school
Pupils768
Girls368
Boys400
Eligible for free school meals43%
First language not English16.3%
SEN support144
EHC plan30
Average class size26.5

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Pupils ethnicity

White British
69.5%
African
7.7%
Pakistani
7.3%
Other White
2%
Other ethnic group
2%
Other Asian
1.8%
White and Black African
1.6%
Other mixed
1.6%
Indian
1.6%
White and Black Caribbean
1.3%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed. Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means missing 50% or more.

MeasureThis schoolBoltonEngland
Overall absence9.4%7.9%8%
Persistent absence28.9%21.8%21.6%
Severe absence5.9%3.6%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)170
Applications (Year 7)262
First preference applications (Year 7)146
First preference offers (Year 7)146
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)17

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Capacity

2024/25
MeasureThis school
School places893
Pupils on roll786
Unfilled places12%
Sixth form places2018/19200
Sixth form pupils on roll2018/190

Source: DfE, School capacity, Academic year 2024/25, published 19 Mar 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26
MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher18.8
Pupils per adult12.2
Teachers (FTE)40.83
Teaching assistants (FTE)16.79
Support staff (FTE)42.93
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2540
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2532.2
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/252
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/255.8

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25
MeasureThis school
Suspension rate77.4%
Pupils with one or more suspensions16.4%
Permanent exclusion rate0.6%
Permanent exclusions5

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destination86.6%
Staying in education77.5%
Further education61.3%
Sixth form college14.1%
Not sustained9.9%
Employment6.3%
Apprenticeship2.8%
School sixth form0.7%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Kearsley Academy
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.3 miPrimaryKearsley West Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.5 miPrimarySt Peter's CofE Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school
Good
0.6 miPrimarySt Stephen's CofE Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school
Good
0.6 miNurseryGrosvenor Nursery School and Day Care CentreLocal authority nursery school
Outstanding
0.7 miPrimarySt John Church of England Primary School, FarnworthAcademy converter
Good
0.7 miPrimaryNorth Walkden Primary SchoolCommunity school
Requires improvement
0.7 miPrimarySt Gregory's RC Primary School, A Voluntary AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.9 miPrimarySt Paul's CofE Primary SchoolVoluntary controlled school
Good
1.0 miPrimarySt James CofE Primary School, FarnworthAcademy converter
Good
1.0 miPrimaryQueensbridge Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good

Frequently asked questions about Kearsley Academy

What is Kearsley Academy's Ofsted rating?

Kearsley Academy is rated Outstanding, last inspected on 7 Jul 2026. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.

How does Kearsley Academy rank in England?

Kearsley Academy ranks 837 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (better than 74% of schools).

How many pupils attend Kearsley Academy?

Kearsley Academy has 768 pupils aged 11 to 16, with capacity for 893.

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.