SMITHILLS SCHOOL
SUCCESS FOR ALL
Exam Results
Celebrating our 2026 GCSE Results
We are incredibly proud of our Class of 2026 and everything they achieved in their GCSEs.
This year’s results showed a big improvement across the school, with more pupils achieving good GCSE passes, including in the key subjects of English and Maths.
Behind every result is a young person who worked hard, overcame challenges and was supported by their family and our staff. We are delighted to see that hard work rewarded.
Our 2026 Results at a Glance
41.41
Attainment 8
Up from 36.53 in 2025
56.2%
achieved grade 4 or above in both English and Maths
Up from 47% in 2025
34.5%
achieved grade 5 or above in both English and Maths
Up from 20% in 2025
37.2%
achieved grade 5 or above in Maths
Up from 21.4% in 2025
What do these results mean?
In 2026, more than half of our Year 11 pupils achieved at least a grade 4 in both English and Maths, and more than a third achieved a strong grade 5 pass or better in both subjects.
This represents a significant improvement on the previous year and is something our pupils should be very proud of.
Stronger Results in English and Maths
We were particularly pleased to see continued improvement in our core subjects.
In Maths, almost two thirds of pupils achieved grade 4 or above and 37.2% achieved grade 5 or above.
Results in English also improved, alongside some excellent individual performances from pupils.
These results reflect the hard work that took place throughout Year 11. Pupils attended additional sessions, acted on feedback from their teachers and showed real determination as they prepared for their final examinations.​
Success Across the School
There was plenty to celebrate beyond English and Maths too.
Pupils achieved strong results across a wide range of subjects, with particularly positive performances in areas including History and Geography, alongside improvements across many other parts of the curriculum.
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Most importantly, these results have allowed our pupils to move on successfully to their next steps, whether that is sixth form, college, an apprenticeship or training.
We are extremely proud of them!
Supporting Every Pupil
We want every pupil at Smithills to succeed, whatever their starting point or background.
We were therefore pleased to see another significant improvement in the results achieved by our disadvantaged pupils in 2026.
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Their average Attainment 8 score increased to 37.79, while the percentage achieving grade 5 or above in both English and Maths more than doubled to almost 30%.
We know there is still more to do, and supporting every child to achieve their potential remains at the heart of our work.
Building on Our Success
We are proud of the progress Smithills School is making, but we are not standing still.
We continue to have high expectations for our pupils and are working hard to make sure that every child receives excellent teaching, the right support and the encouragement they need to achieve their very best.
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The achievements of the Class of 2026 give us real confidence as we look ahead.
Congratulations to every member of Year 11. We are incredibly proud of you.
School Performance Information
Parents and carers can also view official information about Smithills School through the Department for Education's school performance service.
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View Smithills School performance information on GOV.UK - HERE​
To view the Department of Education Performance Tables for Bolton please Click HERE.
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More detailed data can be found on the Gov.uk website by clicking on the button below.