Smithills School
Academy converter in Bolton, Bolton.
School details
| Phase | Secondary |
|---|---|
| Type | Academy converter |
| Age range | 11 to 16 |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Admissions policy | Non-selective |
| Sixth form | Does not have a sixth form |
| Pupils on roll | 1203 (school census 15-01-2026) |
| Capacity | 1250 |
| Free school meals | 41.80% |
| Trust or sponsor | THE BOLTON IMPACT TRUST |
| Local authority | Bolton |
| Address | Smithills Dean Road, Smithills School, Bolton, Lancashire, BL1 6JS |
| Map | View on Google Maps |
| Website | http://www.smithillsschool.net/ |
| Telephone | 01204842382 |
| URN | 140500 |
Ofsted inspection
Latest full inspection: report card inspection under Ofsted's renewed framework (in use since November 2025), started 31 March 2026, published 7 June 2026. Report cards grade each area separately; there is no single overall grade.
| Safeguarding standards | Met |
|---|---|
| Inclusion | Expected standard |
| Curriculum and teaching | Needs attention |
| Achievement | Needs attention |
| Attendance and behaviour | Expected standard |
| Personal development and wellbeing | Needs attention |
| Leadership and governance | Needs attention |
Earlier graded inspection under the previous framework (Education Inspection Framework), started 19 September 2023, published 23 October 2023:
| Overall effectiveness | Requires improvement |
|---|---|
| Quality of education | Requires improvement |
| Behaviour and attitudes | Good |
| Personal development | Good |
| Leadership and management | Requires improvement |
| Safeguarding effective | Yes |
Read the Ofsted reports for this school
Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall effectiveness grades in September 2024 and introduced report cards from November 2025. Older grades are shown with their dates and may not reflect the school today.
Planning for university
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Nearby schools
- Thornleigh Salesian College (secondary school, about 0.8 km)
- Eden Boys' School, Bolton (secondary school, about 1.4 km)
- Sharples School (secondary school, about 2.2 km)
- University Collegiate School (secondary school, about 3.0 km)
- Canon Slade School (secondary school, about 3.1 km)
- Turton School (secondary school, about 3.3 km)
- Bolton Muslim Girls School (secondary school, about 3.8 km)
- Ladybridge High School (secondary school, about 3.8 km)
Browse: Secondary schools in Bolton
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. School data: Department for Education, Get Information about Schools (downloaded 11 October 2026). Inspection data: Ofsted, state-funded schools inspections and outcomes management information (as at 31 August 2026). Last updated 2026-10-11.