Rivington and Blackrod High School
Rivington Lane, Horwich, Bolton, BL6 7RU
- Phase
- Secondary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 11 to 18
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Trust
- LEVERHULME ACADEMY CHURCH OF ENGLAND AND COMMUNITY TRUST
- Headteacher
- Mr Paul Roach
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Diocese
- Diocese of Manchester
- SEN provision
- SLCN - Speech, language and Communication, ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder
- Constituency
- Chorley
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 1,888
- Pupils on roll
- 1,626
- URN
- 143773
- Local authority
- Bolton
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01204333266
About this school
Rivington and Blackrod High School is a Church of England secondary academy in Bolton. It teaches children aged 11 to 18 and has 1,626 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected Rivington and Blackrod High School, and its latest judgement is set out below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Seeing a school for yourself shows what no page can, so arrange a visit before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Sixth form
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Exam results
Key stage 4 (GCSEs)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 4 | 262 | 270 | 276 |
| Attainment 8 score | 45.8 | 48.4 | 49.2 |
| Progress 8 score | -0.16 -0.33 to +0.02 | +0.10 -0.08 to +0.27 | - |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 47% | 48.9% | 52.9% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 64% | 72.6% | 72.1% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate | 15% | 21.1% | 29% |
| English Baccalaureate average point score | 3.8 | 4.1 | 4.2 |
Progress 8 is paused nationally for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 school years. Those pupils sat no key stage 2 tests during the Covid pandemic, so there is no starting point to measure progress from. A blank figure here is not missing school data.
Trends over time
How Rivington and Blackrod High School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Bolton average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 45.8 | 39.7 | 39.8 |
| 2023/24 | 48.4 | 41.1 | 39.5 |
| 2024/25 | 49.2 | 39.7 | 39 |
Department for Education KS4 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 8.5% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 7.4% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 7.5% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 1,507 |
| 2023/24 | 1,526 |
| 2024/25 | 1,584 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Rivington and Blackrod High School compares
Rivington and Blackrod High School ranked 8th of 19 secondary schools in Bolton for Attainment 8 in 2024/25. Its Attainment 8 score was higher than 73% of England secondary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 21% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | Attainment 8 (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 49.2 | 7.5% | 26.7% | 1,626 | — |
| St Joseph's RC High School | 44.8 | 7.2% | 22.3% | 1,047 | 1.9 miles |
| Albany Academy | 43.7 | 8.9% | 29.5% | 725 | 3.7 miles |
| Holy Cross Catholic High School | 55 | 7% | 13% | 976 | 3.8 miles |
| Smithills School | 36.5 | 9.4% | 42.4% | 1,203 | 3.9 miles |
| Ladybridge High School | 41.7 | 7.9% | 37% | 1,136 | 4.3 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 26.7%
- English as an additional language
- 8.6%
- Overall absence
- 7.49%
- Persistent absence
- 20.04%
Location
Nearby schools
-
St Joseph's RC High School1.9 miles
Secondary · Bolton
-
Albany Academy3.7 miles
Secondary · Chorley
-
Holy Cross Catholic High School3.8 miles
Secondary · Chorley
-
Smithills School3.9 miles
Secondary · Bolton
-
Ladybridge High School4.3 miles
Secondary · Bolton
Other schools in Bolton
Rivington and Blackrod High School ranks 8th of the 19 ranked secondary schools in Bolton.
- Bolton Muslim Girls School Secondary
- Canon Slade School Secondary
- Eden Boys' School, Bolton Secondary
- Essa Academy Secondary
- Harper Green School Secondary
- Kearsley Academy Secondary
- King's Leadership Academy Bolton Secondary
- Ladybridge High School Secondary
- Little Lever School Secondary
- Mount St Joseph RC High School a Voluntary Academy Secondary
- Sharples School Secondary
- Smithills School Secondary
Recorded changes at this school
Previous headteacher: Mrs Victoria Walmsley (until July 2026).
- Headteacher changed from Mrs Victoria Walmsley to Mr Paul Roach recorded 17 Jul 2026
Common questions
- What ages does Rivington and Blackrod High School teach?
- Rivington and Blackrod High School teaches children aged 11 to 18. It is a secondary school in Bolton.
- Who is the headteacher of Rivington and Blackrod High School?
- The headteacher of Rivington and Blackrod High School is Mr Paul Roach, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Rivington and Blackrod High School been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Rivington and Blackrod High School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How many pupils are at Rivington and Blackrod High School?
- Rivington and Blackrod High School has 1,626 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 11 to 18.
- Is Rivington and Blackrod High School full?
- Rivington and Blackrod High School has capacity for 1,888 pupils and 1,626 on roll (86%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Rivington and Blackrod High School a faith school?
- Yes. Rivington and Blackrod High School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Manchester.
- Is Rivington and Blackrod High School a selective school?
- No. Rivington and Blackrod High School is recorded as non-selective in the schools register.
- Is Rivington and Blackrod High School part of an academy trust?
- Rivington and Blackrod High School is part of LEVERHULME ACADEMY CHURCH OF ENGLAND AND COMMUNITY TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- What SEN provision does Rivington and Blackrod High School have?
- The schools register lists Rivington and Blackrod High School's special educational needs provision as: SLCN - Speech, language and Communication; ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Contact the school to discuss how it would support a particular child.
- How have Rivington and Blackrod High School's results changed over recent years?
- Its Attainment 8 score was 45.8 in 2022/23 and 49.2 in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does Rivington and Blackrod High School compare with other schools in Bolton?
- Rivington and Blackrod High School ranked 8th of 19 secondary schools in Bolton for Attainment 8. Its Attainment 8 score was higher than 73% of England secondary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 21% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Rivington and Blackrod High School's absence rate?
- Rivington and Blackrod High School's overall absence rate is 7.5% in the latest published census, above the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Rivington and Blackrod High School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Rivington and Blackrod High School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 22 July 2026.