Thornleigh Salesian College Catchment Area
Thornleigh Salesian College is a voluntary aided secondary school in Bolton , serving pupils aged 11-18, with 1576 pupils, and a capacity of 1650 places. The school is operating close to capacity, and catchment area boundaries apply when the school is oversubscribed.
11-18
Age range
1,576
Pupils
1,650
Capacity
96%
Fill rate
Thornleigh Salesian College Catchment Area Information
What is the catchment area for Thornleigh Salesian College?
The catchment area for Thornleigh Salesian College is the geographic zone Bolton uses to prioritise admissions when this secondary school receives more applications than it has places. Children living inside the boundary are ranked higher under the oversubscription criteria, after looked-after children and, in most years, faith-based criteria. Bolton publishes the exact boundary and the last distance offered before each admissions cycle, and the boundary can change year to year.
Admission to Thornleigh Salesian College is managed by Bolton and typically includes both faith criteria and catchment area proximity. The weighting given to each criterion depends on the school's published oversubscription policy, which is reviewed annually.
Get an alert if Thornleigh Salesian College goes oversubscribed for 2027 →
The official admissions policy, including the catchment boundary map, is published by Bolton before each admissions cycle. Always verify your address with the council before submitting an application, as boundaries can change year to year.
Find Bolton catchment area documents →Thornleigh Salesian College: 1650 places, 96% filled: nearing capacity
Thornleigh Salesian College has a published admission number of 1650 places. 1576 pupils were enrolled in the most recent data, giving a fill rate of 96%. The school is operating close to its limit. In years where applications exceed 1650, Bolton's admissions team applies distance-based tiebreakers. Families within the school's historical catchment boundary are well placed, but a boundary check with the council is recommended before applying.
The fill-rate figure above reflects overall demand, but the school's intake also varies by community profile. 28.9% of pupils at Thornleigh Salesian College are eligible for free school meals, broadly in line with the national average. This reflects a mixed catchment population across Bolton.
To check whether your home address falls within the historical catchment boundary, use the postcode search tool on this site.
Bolton publishes its full admissions policy, including oversubscription criteria, the previous year's last-distance figures, and the appeals timetable, on the council's official admissions page. Find Bolton school admissions →
Thornleigh Salesian College: School Information
- Full address
- Sharples Park, Astley Bridge, Bolton, BL1 6PQ
- Local authority
- Bolton
- School type
- Voluntary aided school
- Phase of education
- Secondary
- Age range
- 11-18 years
- Religious character
- Roman Catholic
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Free school meals
- 28.9% of pupils
- DfE URN
- 105264
Other Secondary Schools in Bolton
If Thornleigh Salesian College is oversubscribed, these secondary schools in Bolton are the next closest alternatives.
Westhoughton High School Catchment Area
Community school · BL5 3BZ
Turton School Catchment Area
Community school · BL7 9LT
St Joseph's RC High School Catchment Area
Voluntary aided school · BL6 6HW
Ladybridge High School Catchment Area
Community school · BL3 4NG
Essa Academy Catchment Area
Academy sponsor led · BL3 3HH
Kearsley Academy Catchment Area
Academy sponsor led · BL4 8HY
Other Roman Catholic Schools in Bolton
Thornleigh Salesian College shares its religious character with these Roman Catholic schools across Bolton. Faith criteria typically sit alongside catchment distance in each school's admissions policy.
Holy Infant and St Anthony RC Primary School Catchment Area
Voluntary aided school · Bolton
St Columba's RC Primary School Catchment Area
Voluntary aided school · Bolton
St Thomas of Canterbury RC School Catchment Area
Voluntary aided school · Bolton
St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton Catchment Area
Voluntary aided school · Bolton
Nearest secondary schools by distance
These are the secondary schools closest to Thornleigh Salesian College by straight-line distance, including ones across a town or council boundary. Distance is not the same as being in catchment: always check each school's own admissions policy for its actual boundary.
Need help understanding catchment areas?
Frequently Asked Questions: Thornleigh Salesian College
What is the catchment area for Thornleigh Salesian College? ▾
The catchment area for Thornleigh Salesian College is the geographic zone Bolton uses to prioritise admissions when this secondary school receives more applications than it has places. Children living inside the boundary are ranked higher under the oversubscription criteria, after looked-after children and, in most years, faith-based criteria. Bolton publishes the exact boundary and the last distance offered before each admissions cycle, and the boundary can change year to year.
Is Thornleigh Salesian College oversubscribed? ▾
Thornleigh Salesian College is operating close to its capacity of 1650 places (96% full). Catchment boundaries are likely to apply when the school is oversubscribed at the next intake.
What is the admissions policy for Thornleigh Salesian College? ▾
Thornleigh Salesian College uses both faith criteria and catchment area proximity in its admissions policy. The weighting is reviewed annually and published by Bolton before each admissions cycle.
What age range does Thornleigh Salesian College cover? ▾
Thornleigh Salesian College is a secondary school in Bolton, serving pupils aged 11-18. For the latest information, visit the school's website or the DfE Get Information About Schools service.