The Elton High School Review 2026, community secondary with a modern rebuild

A school can feel established and forward-looking at the same time. Here, the story begins with a secondary school that opened in 1954, then moved into a rebuilt site in September 2016 after a major capital project.

The latest Ofsted inspection took place on 2 and 3 February 2022 and confirmed the school continues to be rated Good.

It is a mixed 11 to 16 school, so the headline question for most families is not sixth form provision, it is what students leave with at 16, how well the school supports post 16 choices, and whether the culture feels calm, purposeful, and safe day to day.

The school’s stated culture is framed through clear, repeatable language. The headteacher’s welcome sets out an “Elton Way” built around ambition, resilience, and kindness, which is useful because it gives families an expectation of how behaviour and effort are talked about in everyday school life.

Form time and assemblies are built into the day, rather than bolted on. The published timetable shows a structured rhythm: start at 08.40, with the day ending at 15.10 after a final form session. That structure matters for many students, particularly those who benefit from predictable transitions between lessons, social time, and pastoral check-ins.

The school also puts real emphasis on creating a calm working environment, not just in classrooms but between them. Inspectors described students as proud of their school, and highlighted positive behaviour and a respectful culture, alongside confidence in reporting concerns.

Leadership is clearly identifiable. The school website lists the headteacher as Mr J Wilton, supported by a published senior leadership team structure.

This is a mid-performing school on the FindMySchool measure, with a clear local context.

Ranked 2,314th in England and 6th in Bury for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data)

This level of performance sits in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile).

The attainment picture, as captured is anchored by:

• Attainment 8 score: 45.8

• Progress 8 score: -0.24

• EBacc average points score: 3.87

• Percentage achieving grade 5 or above across EBacc: 10

For parents, the Progress 8 figure is often the most revealing. A negative score indicates students, on average, make less progress than peers nationally from similar starting points. That does not mean every student underperforms, but it does raise a practical question: will your child thrive with the level of academic stretch and feedback in day-to-day lessons, and does the school’s support system help them catch up quickly when they slip behind.

The school also publishes selected GCSE headline measures. For GCSE Results 2025, it reports 74.7% at grade 4 plus in English, 71.3% at grade 4 plus in mathematics, and 66.2% at grade 4 plus in English and mathematics combined.

Families comparing local options should consider using the FindMySchool Local Hub page and Comparison Tool, which makes it easier to set these outcomes alongside other nearby secondaries using the same official benchmarks.

Curriculum intent is described as broad, well-sequenced, and designed to build knowledge across Key Stage 3 into Key Stage 4. That matters most when it shows up in classroom routines, assessment, and how quickly teachers address gaps.

The latest inspection evidence supports a picture of strong subject leadership in most areas, with clarity about essential knowledge and effective checks on learning, so misconceptions are identified and corrected rather than allowed to harden. For a family, the implication is straightforward: students who benefit from clear explanation and frequent feedback should find a system that is meant to spot misunderstanding early, particularly in core subjects where cumulative knowledge matters.

Independent learning is also signposted explicitly. Homework expectations differ by key stage, and the school publishes a Homework Club offer across the week.

As an 11 to 16 school, the destination pipeline is primarily about full-time education and training routes after Year 11.

The school publishes a destinations summary for 2024, including counts and percentages. In that report, 95.9% of Year 11 leavers were recorded as in education, employment, or training, with 90.9% in full-time education and 3.0% starting apprenticeships.

The practical implication is that most students move into a sustained post 16 route, with a meaningful minority taking apprenticeship pathways. For families who want a structured transition, the school’s careers programme is designed to start early, with careers education embedded through Personal Development lessons and supplemented by employer, college, and other external inputs.

Because there is no on-site sixth form, it is worth prioritising questions about post 16 planning: when guidance interviews happen, which local providers are most commonly chosen, and how the school supports students who are undecided in Year 10.

Admissions are coordinated through Bury Council, and the school describes itself as a community high school within that system.

For September 2026 entry into Year 7, Bury’s published admissions timetable sets out clear dates: applications open on 01 September 2025, the deadline is 31 October 2025, and offers are released on 02 March 2026, with an appeal deadline of 31 March 2026.

Open evenings are typically scheduled across September and October in the year before entry. Families should treat that as the normal window, then confirm the specific event dates each year through the council timetable and the school’s own calendar.

If you are weighing the realistic chance of a place against travel time, use FindMySchoolMap Search to check distance precisely. Even where a school has historically offered places beyond a tight radius, allocation patterns can change quickly with local population shifts.

Pastoral structures look deliberately layered. The school describes a system built around form tutors and learning coordinators who stay with a year group over time, supported by behaviour mentors and access to a school counsellor.

That model tends to work well for students who need consistent adult relationships, especially during the transition into Year 7 and through Key Stage 4 pressure points. It also gives parents clear routes for communication, because responsibility is defined by role rather than being passed between departments.

Inspectors reported that students felt safe and that bullying concerns were handled quickly when raised.

A school’s extracurricular offer matters most when it is specific, varied, and genuinely taken up by students beyond the already-confident minority.

The inspection report names a chess club and a diversity group among the wider offer, alongside sports and arts activities. The prospectus adds helpful detail, including debating and subject clubs such as computing, music, art, science, and drama.

There is also a distinctive community-facing strand. The prospectus describes Art to Heart as a daily scheme providing Year 7 and Year 8 students with opportunities connected to older and vulnerable people in the local community. The educational value here is not only creative skill, it is confidence in conversation, purpose, and an early sense of contribution.

Sport is framed as both mainstream and slightly more adventurous. Alongside traditional team sports, the prospectus references minority activities such as wrestling, diving, ultimate frisbee, and gymnastics, which can be a strong fit for students who are sporty but not drawn to the standard football-only route.

The published school day runs from 08.40 to 15.10, with a lunch period scheduled from 13.20 to 14.05. After-school support includes homework provision in the Learning Resource Centre on multiple days, creating a supervised space for independent study.

The Doreen Blake Learning Resource Centre is presented as a central hub, with computer access and both physical and digital reading offers, including eBooks available to students.

On transport, the school signposts the concessionary travel pass approach used in Greater Manchester for 11 to 16 travel.

• Progress measure. A Progress 8 score of -0.24 suggests students, on average, make below-average progress from their starting points. Families should ask how the school identifies learning gaps early and what academic intervention looks like in practice.

• No sixth form. All students leave at 16. This suits families who want choice at post 16, but it means you should evaluate careers guidance, local provider relationships, and how the school supports applications for college, apprenticeships, and training.

• Curriculum balance and EBacc take-up. The school has increased the proportion of pupils following the English Baccalaureate suite, but the current EBacc achievement measure is low. Parents of highly academic students should ask about pathways, subject guidance, and how options are advised.

A well-established community secondary that pairs a long local history with a modern rebuilt site, and a clearly signposted culture built around behaviour, relationships, and structured routines. Best suited to families seeking a mixed 11 to 16 school in Bury with a broad curriculum, defined pastoral roles, and a clear post 16 transition programme. The main decision point is whether your child will need stronger progress acceleration than the headline progress measure suggests.