Best Schools in Bolton

How many schools are there in Bolton?

Bolton has 150 open schools: 99 state primary, 22 state secondary or all-through, 9 independent, 15 special and 5 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Bolton are rated Outstanding?

19 schools in Bolton were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Primary School, Blackrod Primary School, Green Fold School, The Valley Community Primary School, Oxford Grove Primary School and 14 more. Counting Good as well, 89% of the 129 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Primary SchoolBlackrod Primary SchoolGreen Fold SchoolThe Valley Community Primary SchoolOxford Grove Primary School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Bolton get the best GCSE results?

Of the 23 schools in Bolton with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Eden Boys' School, Bolton, with an Attainment 8 score of 57 and 75% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Bolton Muslim Girls School, with an Attainment 8 score of 56.5 and 60% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Sharples School, with an Attainment 8 score of 56.5 and 73% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Eden Boys' School, BoltonBolton Muslim Girls SchoolSharples School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Bolton have the best SATs results?

Of the 87 primary schools in Bolton with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Bowness Primary School (100% in reading, 100% in maths); Turton Belmont Community Primary School (100% in reading, 100% in maths); and The Olive School, Bolton (98% in reading, 98% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Bowness Primary SchoolTurton Belmont Community Primary SchoolThe Olive School, Bolton

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Bolton?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Bolton selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Bolton have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Bolton have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, the council allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Bolton?

Apply to your council - Bolton, Blackburn with Darwen or Lancashire, depending on your address - through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.