Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School

Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School demonstrates a solid overall performance, meeting expected standards in various areas. The school maintains a strong culture of safeguarding, ensuring pupils feel safe and cared for. Leaders have made commendable efforts to enhance attendance and academic outcomes, especially for disadvantaged pupils, although the full impact of these efforts is still emerging in national examinations. The specially resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities shows substantial progress, indicating effective support for vulnerable students. While the school's attendance rates are in line with national averages, there are still challenges, particularly with improving attendance for disadvantaged pupils. Behaviour among students is generally positive; however, some inconsistencies in managing behaviour during social times have been noted. Academic achievement, while steadily improving, reflects some gaps that need addressing, particularly for those who enter the school with previous learning gaps. Overall, the leadership team is committed to continuous improvement, supported by a well-structured curriculum that adapts to students' needs.

Strengths

• Strong safeguarding culture ensuring pupil safety and well-being.
• Effective leadership with clear priorities for improvement.
• Substantial progress and qualifications for pupils in the specially resourced provision for SEND.
• Pupils demonstrate positive attitudes to learning and engagement in lessons.
• Targeted support for vulnerable and disadvantaged pupils.
• Effective personal development and citizenship education programs.

Areas for Improvement

• Improvements in attendance for disadvantaged pupils have not yet met ambitions.
• Pupils' behaviour outside of lessons is occasionally less settled.
• The depth of understanding in some subjects, particularly citizenship, needs enhancement.

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 Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School attended 91.5% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 22.5% 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, 5.7% of pupils at Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was 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 Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School had 16.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 5.4% 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, 10.7% of pupils at Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 7.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 23 pupils.

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 2024–25 Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School received £8,759 and spent £8,364 for each of its 861 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £335,000 (£389 per pupil).

Across all 14 schools of The Challenge Academy Trust, income was £7,634 and spending £7,638 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Warrington · Warrington local authority: places and applications

Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School is part of The Challenge Academy Trust, which runs 14 schools. The nearest others:

• Priestley College Warrington
• Broomfields Junior School Warrington
• Bridgewater High School Warrington
• Beamont Collegiate Academy Warrington
• Padgate Academy Warrington
• Meadowside Community Primary and Nursery School Warrington
• Appleton Thorn Primary School Warrington
• Dallam Community Primary School Warrington
• Great Sankey Primary School Warrington
• Penketh High School Warrington

What is Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School is Expected standard, from an inspection in April 2026.

When was Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School last inspected by Ofsted?

Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School was last inspected in April 2026.

How many pupils does Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School have?

Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School has 879 pupils on roll.

What age range does Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School cover?

Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 46.3, and 45% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School?

Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School is at Grammar School Road, Latchford, Warrington, Cheshire, WA4 1JL.