Kearsley Academy Review 2026: Praise-led culture and steady progress in Bolton (11–16)

A defining feature at Kearsley Academy is its deliberately positive tone. Celebration rituals such as Proud Thursdays, where pupils applaud each other’s achievements, are designed to make effort visible and normalise success.

Academically, outcomes sit in line with the middle 35% of secondary schools in England (25th to 60th percentile). In FindMySchool’s GCSE outcomes ranking, Kearsley Academy is ranked 1223rd in England and 6th in Bolton. Progress measures are a strength, with a Progress 8 score of +0.55 indicating students typically make well above average progress from their starting points.

This is an 11–16 school, so families should plan early for post-16 pathways. Careers education and guidance is positioned as part of the weekly personal development curriculum, and pupils have structured access to independent guidance before they leave.

Praise is not an add-on here, it is part of the operating model. External review evidence describes pupils receiving regular encouragement, building confidence and resilience in tackling unfamiliar work, and valuing the support that helps them catch up quickly if they fall behind.

The culture is also framed around safety and approachability. Pupils reported that there is always a member of staff they can talk to, and that bullying is not tolerated and is dealt with effectively when it occurs. This matters for families weighing a larger, mixed comprehensive setting, where day-to-day relationships and consistency are often as important as raw outcomes.

Behaviour expectations are described as high and supported by clear systems. Where the picture is slightly less settled is in consistency of application; a minority of staff were found not to apply behaviour systems consistently, which can lead to occasional disruption of learning. For parents, the practical implication is to ask how leaders train staff in routines, and how quickly low-level disruption is addressed when it appears.

Kearsley Academy’s results profile is best understood as solid overall outcomes, with stronger-than-average progress.

Rankings context (FindMySchool, based on official data)

Ranked 1223rd in England and 6th in Bolton for GCSE outcomes.

That England position sits in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile). For families, that typically means outcomes are not relying on selection, but the school is still delivering a credible GCSE package for a broad intake.

Headline measures

• Attainment 8: 51.4

• Progress 8: +0.55

• EBacc average point score: 4.57

• Percentage achieving grades 5 or above in EBacc: 23.2%

Progress 8 is the standout. A positive score indicates that students, on average, achieve better GCSE outcomes than pupils nationally with similar prior attainment. The implication is that teaching, systems, and support are adding value for many learners, including those who may not arrive with the very highest Key Stage 2 starting points.

A curriculum point to watch is the school’s stated and externally supported emphasis on the English Baccalaureate suite. Leaders have placed EBacc subjects at the centre of the curriculum, with rising participation over time. For some families, this is reassuring, especially if they want languages and humanities protected for a broad range of pupils. For others, it is worth checking how options work at Key Stage 4, and how flexible the pathways feel for students who are more vocationally inclined.

Kearsley Academy describes its curriculum structure as a 3:2 model, with three years for Years 7 to 9 and two years for GCSE delivery in Years 10 and 11. Done well, this can reduce the sense of racing through content in Key Stage 3, allowing pupils to build secure foundations before GCSE choices narrow the timetable.

Subject delivery is supported by a clear picture of what pupils should know, and a focus on teachers using assessment to check learning and address misconceptions. The practical implication is that students should experience lessons that do not simply “cover” content, but regularly revisit, check, and strengthen knowledge.

Reading is positioned as a strategic priority. Leaders were described as successfully focusing on vocabulary development and reading fluency in Key Stage 3, alongside approaches that encourage reading for pleasure. The improvement area is Key Stage 4 reading fluency for a minority of pupils; where reading accuracy is weaker, it can limit access to the full GCSE curriculum. For families, this is a useful prompt: ask what the school’s current Key Stage 4 reading intervention looks like, how students are identified, and how progress is tracked.

Personal development is structured through weekly LIFE lessons, spanning areas such as relationships education, citizenship, and careers education, information and guidance.

Because Kearsley Academy is 11–16, “next steps” means sixth form, college, apprenticeships, or employment with training. This is an area where the school’s systems and advice matter a great deal, particularly for students who are not aiming for a traditional sixth form route.

The careers programme states that all students are entitled to careers education and work-related learning, with access to independent careers guidance by a qualified professional, including at least one interview by age 16. That kind of minimum entitlement is important, because it supports decision-making at the point where GCSE pathways and post-16 choices can either open doors or narrow them unnecessarily.

Formal requirements around technical education and apprenticeship information are also referenced through the Baker Clause expectation in the school’s inspection documentation. Parents considering vocational routes should ask what employer encounters look like across Years 9 to 11, and how the school supports applications for apprenticeships or specialist colleges alongside sixth form applications.

Local progression commonly involves a mix of school sixth forms and further education colleges in the Bolton area. One concrete signal of local links is that Bolton Sixth Form College lists Kearsley Academy among its partner schools.

Year 7 admissions are coordinated by Bolton local authority. For September 2026 entry, applications open 1 September 2025 and close 31 October 2025, with offers issued on 2 March 2026 (the national offer day for that cycle).

Kearsley Academy’s published admissions information sets out those same key dates and also notes the appeals window, with appeal requests by 30 March 2026 and hearings typically in May or June 2026.

The school ran an Open Evening on Wednesday 17 September 2025, which suggests open events typically fall in September for the next admissions cycle. If you are looking at later entry years, treat the month as a useful guide but rely on the school’s website for live booking arrangements and exact timings.

For parents who are distance-sensitive, FindMySchool’s Map Search is the most practical way to sanity-check travel time and daily logistics, especially if your child will be commuting independently by bus or train.

Pastoral support is described through two lenses: everyday relationships with staff, and structured safeguarding systems. Pupils reported feeling safe and knowing who to speak to if concerns arise.

On safeguarding infrastructure, formal review evidence confirms that safeguarding arrangements are effective, with staff training kept up to date and leaders working proactively with external agencies where needed.

Digital safeguarding is also emphasised through trust-wide systems. The school’s wellbeing information highlights an online safety hub for parents and carers and references Smoothwall as part of monitoring and online safeguarding arrangements. For families, the practical question is not only whether filtering exists, but how the school teaches good judgement around phones, social media, and online behaviour, especially for older pupils approaching GCSE years.

The school frames extracurricular life through an Enrichment model. Lessons end at 2.30pm, and enrichment sessions run from 2.30pm to 3.30pm, staffed by school employees, with sign-up handled through Student Services and parental consent.

The principal’s welcome explicitly references regular clubs including chess, music, drama, and art, alongside trips, outings, and charity events. This kind of breadth matters most when it is accessible to the full intake rather than a small group of high performers. Ask how clubs are scheduled across year groups, and how the school supports participation for pupils with additional needs or travel constraints.

Reading enrichment has a distinctive feel here. The school has previously run Drop Everything And Read lessons for Year 7 and 8 as part of a Reading Routes project, with themed reading routes and structured choice of texts. There is also evidence of peer-led reading support, with Year 10 reading mentors meeting weekly to read with Year 7 and 8 pupils. The implication is that literacy development is being handled as a whole-school priority, not simply left to English lessons.

Sport is another visible strand. The school reported achieving the School Games Gold Medal for the 2021/22 academic year and described links with local and professional clubs, plus enrichment courses leading to recognised qualifications and a sports leaders cohort supporting primary events.

STEM enrichment appears within trust-level activity too. The school is cited as participating in the UK Maths Trust challenge through Northern Education Trust participation. For families with high-attaining mathematicians, this is a good prompt to ask about problem-solving clubs, Olympiad preparation, and how top sets are stretched beyond GCSE specification.

This is a state-funded school with no tuition fees. Financial planning is more about uniform, transport, and optional extras such as trips or enrichment costs (where applicable).

For commuting, Transport for Greater Manchester notes that the nearest train station is Kearsley, around a 21-minute walk from the school, with bus services also stopping nearby. For families planning independent travel, it is worth trialling the route at the times your child will actually travel, as peak-hour reliability and safe crossing points matter as much as distance.

• Key Stage 4 reading fluency: A minority of pupils were identified as not reading with sufficient fluency and accuracy in Key Stage 4, which can limit access to the GCSE curriculum. Ask what the current reading support offer looks like for Years 10 and 11.

• Behaviour consistency: Systems are described as clear, but not all staff were found to apply them consistently, which can lead to occasional disruption. Parents may want to probe how leaders coach staff and follow up quickly where routines slip.

• No sixth form: Students leave after Year 11. That is not a weakness in itself, but it does mean families should engage early with post-16 guidance and visit likely next-step providers during Year 10.

• Structured EBacc emphasis: The curriculum places EBacc subjects at its centre, with participation rising over time. This suits many students, but it is worth confirming how options and pathways work for pupils whose strengths lean towards more applied routes.

Kearsley Academy presents as a steadily improving 11–16, with a positive culture built around praise, clear curriculum thinking, and notably strong progress measures. The school’s GCSE outcomes sit around the middle of England’s distribution, but Progress 8 suggests many students do better than expected given their starting points, which is a meaningful indicator for families looking for value-added rather than selection.

It will suit families who want a structured comprehensive setting, with a clear personal development programme and a strong emphasis on reading and confidence-building. The key decision point is fit, particularly around behaviour consistency and the transition planning required for post-16 routes.