Westhoughton High School

Westhoughton High School is a large secondary school that requires significant improvement. Inspectors found that pupils' attainment at key stage 4 is broadly in line with national averages, and personal development and wellbeing are at the expected standard, with a carefully designed PSHE programme, careers provision and extra-curricular opportunities. Safeguarding standards are met, and pupils generally feel safe. However, pupils do not make the progress they should from their starting points, and disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND are particularly affected. Attendance and behaviour require urgent improvement. Too many pupils are persistently or severely absent, and lateness is common; this means pupils miss substantial learning and fall further behind. Behaviour expectations exist and relationships have improved, but implementation is inconsistent, some pupils disrupt learning, and boisterous corridors can worry younger pupils. Support for disadvantaged pupils is also at an early stage and inconsistent. Achievement, curriculum and teaching, inclusion, and leadership and governance all need attention. The curriculum is ambitious but delivery varies, assessment does not consistently check knowledge, and adaptation for SEND is underdeveloped. SEND and disadvantaged pupils do not always receive consistent support, and leaders' and governors' oversight is not yet sharp enough to show what is working. Leaders have begun to improve attendance, curriculum, personal development and staff training, but these improvements are not yet embedded across the school.

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open culture and pupils who feel safe.
• Personal development and wellbeing are at the expected standard.
• PSHE curriculum is carefully designed to teach health, safety and online risks.
• Aim High assemblies expose pupils to diverse voices and raise aspirations.
• Age-appropriate relationships and sex education is provided.
• Pupils learn about equality, diversity and respect for different beliefs.
• Peer mentoring, the 'I am' campaign and anti-bullying ambassadors celebrate individuality.
• Pupils can access extra-curricular clubs such as gardening and school band.
• Pupils take on leadership roles, including student councillors and anti-bullying ambassadors.
• Careers programme includes external visitors, employer partnerships, careers fairs and work experience.
• SEND pupils and those facing barriers receive tailored careers support.
• Curriculum is ambitious and well designed, identifying important knowledge.
• Teachers have secure subject knowledge and provide clear explanations.
• Early reading support is effective and making a positive difference.
• Systems for identifying SEND have been strengthened, with work alongside parents, carers and pupils.
• Behaviour expectations have been established and most pupils meet them in lessons.
• Leaders have strengthened curriculum breadth, personal development and staff training.
• Most pupils feel bullying reports will be acted on.
• Pupils learn life skills such as CPR and online safety.

Areas for Improvement

• Overall, the school requires significant improvement.
• Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, do not make the progress they should from their starting points.
• Attainment is broadly national average but progress is below national in recent years.
• Variation in curriculum delivery leads to gaps in learning.
• Some pupils lack secure reading and mathematics knowledge, hindering access to the wider curriculum.
• Pupils in internal alternative provision do not achieve well enough due to absence and weak teaching.
• Some pupils are not ready for their next steps, lacking secure knowledge and skills.
• Adaptation of the curriculum for pupils with SEND is underdeveloped.
• Assessment is inconsistent in checking whether pupils' knowledge is building securely.
• Support for handwriting, spelling and mathematics is at an early stage.
• Experiences of pupils with SEND are mixed, and support is not consistently adapted.
• Support for pupils' emotional wellbeing is particularly inconsistent.
• Disadvantaged pupils' support is inconsistent and pupil premium work is at an early stage.
• Attendance is too low, with high persistent and severe absence, especially for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.
• Punctuality is poor, with too many pupils late to school or lessons.
• Behaviour expectations are not applied consistently by all staff.
• Poor behaviour in social times is not routinely challenged, worrying younger pupils.
• Some pupils disrupt learning or truant from lessons.
• Leaders' monitoring is not well developed in all areas, including behaviour sanctions.
• Governors do not always have a clear enough picture of impact.
• Improvements are not yet embedded or consistently implemented.
• Leaders have not secured improvement quickly enough in attendance and punctuality.
• The school does not check carefully enough which alternative provision approaches are working.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Westhoughton High School attended 88.9% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 31.8% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 11.1% of pupils at Westhoughton High School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 6 pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Westhoughton High School had 17.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.6% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 13.7% of pupils at Westhoughton High School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.7% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Westhoughton High School received £7,514 and spent £7,648 for each of its 1,343 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £479,000 (£357 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

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What is Westhoughton High School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Westhoughton High School is Urgent improvement, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was Westhoughton High School last inspected by Ofsted?

Westhoughton High School was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does Westhoughton High School have?

Westhoughton High School has 1,342 pupils on roll.

What age range does Westhoughton High School cover?

Westhoughton High School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Westhoughton High School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 40.2, and 37% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Westhoughton High School?

Westhoughton High School is at Bolton Road, Westhoughton, Bolton, Lancashire, BL5 3BZ.