St James's Church of England High School
Lucas Road, Farnworth, Bolton, BL4 9RU
- Phase
- Secondary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 11 to 16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Trust
- THE BISHOP FRASER TRUST
- Headteacher
- Mrs Catherine Anderson
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Diocese
- Diocese of Manchester
- Sponsor
- The Bishop Fraser Trust
- Constituency
- Bolton South and Walkden
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 1,050
- Pupils on roll
- 1,053
- URN
- 144046
- Local authority
- Bolton
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01204333000
About this school
St James's Church of England High School is a Church of England secondary academy in Bolton. It teaches children aged 11 to 16 and has 1,053 pupils on roll.
You can read Ofsted's latest judgement for the school 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
- Outstanding
- Personal development
- Outstanding
- Leadership and management
- Outstanding
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Exam results
Key stage 4 (GCSEs)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 4 | 209 | 209 | 207 |
| Attainment 8 score | 49.0 | 47.9 | 53.5 |
| Progress 8 score | -0.24 -0.43 to -0.05 | -0.07 -0.27 to +0.12 | - |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 48% | 48.8% | 57.5% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 73% | 69.4% | 81.6% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate | 41% | 30.1% | 38.2% |
| English Baccalaureate average point score | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.7 |
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 St James's Church of England 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 | 49 | 39.7 | 39.8 |
| 2023/24 | 47.9 | 41.1 | 39.5 |
| 2024/25 | 53.5 | 39.7 | 39 |
Department for Education KS4 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 5.8% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 6.3% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 6.5% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 1,046 |
| 2023/24 | 1,051 |
| 2024/25 | 1,064 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How St James's Church of England High School compares
St James's Church of England High School ranked 4th of 19 secondary schools in Bolton for Attainment 8 in 2024/25. Its Attainment 8 score was higher than 84% of England secondary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 30% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | Attainment 8 (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 53.5 | 6.5% | 21.8% | 1,053 | — |
| Harper Green School | 42.8 | 8.6% | 47.1% | 1,070 | 0.4 miles |
| Mount St Joseph RC High School a Voluntary Academy | — | 10.2% | 36.3% | 895 | 0.7 miles |
| King's Leadership Academy Bolton | 45.4 | 7.5% | 33.9% | 910 | 1.1 miles |
| Star Salford Academy | — | 10.4% | 61.2% | 389 | 1.3 miles |
| Kearsley Academy | 51.8 | 9.6% | 42.7% | 768 | 1.4 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)
- 21.8%
- English as an additional language
- 12.1%
- Overall absence
- 6.5%
- Persistent absence
- 16.56%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Harper Green School0.4 miles
Secondary · Bolton
-
Mount St Joseph RC High School a Voluntary Academy0.7 miles
Secondary · Bolton
-
King's Leadership Academy Bolton1.1 miles
Secondary · Bolton
-
Star Salford Academy1.3 miles
Secondary · Worsley
-
Kearsley Academy1.4 miles
Secondary · Bolton
Other schools in Bolton
St James's Church of England High School ranks 4th 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
- Rivington and Blackrod High School Secondary
- Sharples School Secondary
Common questions
- What year groups does St James's Church of England High School teach?
- St James's Church of England High School teaches children aged 11 to 16. It is a secondary school in Bolton.
- Who is the headteacher of St James's Church of England High School?
- The headteacher of St James's Church of England High School is Mrs Catherine Anderson, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was St James's Church of England High School last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected St James's Church of England 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 big is St James's Church of England High School?
- St James's Church of England High School has 1,053 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 11 to 16.
- Is St James's Church of England High School full?
- St James's Church of England High School has capacity for 1,050 pupils and 1,053 on roll (100%), so it is at or above 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 St James's Church of England High School a faith school?
- Yes. St James's Church of England High School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Manchester.
- Is St James's Church of England High School a selective school?
- No. St James's Church of England High School is recorded as non-selective in the schools register.
- Who runs St James's Church of England High School?
- St James's Church of England High School is part of THE BISHOP FRASER TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How have St James's Church of England High School's results changed over recent years?
- Its Attainment 8 score was 49 in 2022/23 and 53.5 in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does St James's Church of England High School rank locally?
- St James's Church of England High School ranked 4th of 19 secondary schools in Bolton for Attainment 8. Its Attainment 8 score was higher than 84% of England secondary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 30% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is St James's Church of England High School's absence rate?
- St James's Church of England High School's overall absence rate is 6.5% in the latest published census, above the England average of 6.2%.
- What are St James's Church of England High School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, St James's Church of England 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 10 July 2026.