Thornleigh Salesian College is part of a wider Salesian community in the UK and around the world. Built on the strong Catholic Salesian tradition and the educative system of St John Bosco we focus on the development of every child. Saint John Bosco based his model of education on the Preventative System, calling the young people to be “good Christians and honest citizens”.

Our school and Sixth Form, inspired by our founder, is a place to belong, to learn, to reflect and to celebrate.

We are proud to be the only Catholic Sixth Form provider in Bolton, but we are equally proud to welcome students of all faiths.

In Year 12, all students will have a timetabled lesson of Core RE once every two weeks.

In Year 13, all students will engage in weekly activities delivered during Curriculum For Life. Students will reflect on important moral, world and religious issues and therefore become more informed and articulate about the world they live in. Example themes include mental health, democracy, organ donation, migration, discrimination, gender equality and health. The themes change weekly and are linked to a religious or cultural event. 

Regular assemblies are held both in our school chapel and our Learning Resource Centre. This fosters a sense of community and allows us the opportunity to share collective information whether that is academic guidance.

The CAFOD Young Leadership programme is an opportunity to take the lead by volunteering for CAFOD to make a difference in fighting poverty and injustice.

Throughout the year, we receive training on different leadership skills such as planning, organisation, communication and presentation. We have also gained a deeper understanding of CAFOD and their mission, vision and values. This has included learning about CAFOD’s work with partners and communities in developing countries around the world.

We have helped to organise volunteering activities in our school on behalf of CAFOD, encouraging others to take global justice action. We have raised awareness through  assembly's prayer and liturgy. We have also taken part in all different forms of fundraising, raising over £500 so far this year.

We have a dedicated prayer space in our Sixth Form building which is overseen by a group of our Year 13 students. Prayer mats are available for anyone who wishes to use one.

Our students are very generous with their time and donations and regularly contribute to various charity appeals. Urban Outreach, Bolton Hospice, Brain tumour research, British Heart Foundation and CAFOD have all received charitable donations from Thornleigh Sixth Form students over the past couple of years. Students raise money by doing bake sales, charity walks and appeals during assemblies.

A group of our Sixth Form students have recently led and coordinated the Uniformd project to create a sustainable marketplace for parents to donate and access affordable used school uniforms. Our students collected second hand uniforms, promoted the online store, stocked and organised the store cupboard, distributed the purchases. To access our Uniformd shop CLICK HERE.

We love to reward our students for making positive contributions to our community and having a positive attitude to their learning. Points are awarded via Class Charts and the online shop hosts various rewards including a pass to skip the lunch queue; vouchers for Uber Eats, Nando’s, Love2Shop, Primark and Amazon, and everyone’s favourite rewards - Domino’s Pizza!

We have regular ‘shout outs’ in assembly for top attendance and at the end of the year we celebrate subject success with a celebration, including the top prize of a set of driving lessons.