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Schools across Bolton

Local authority · 148 schools across 4 towns

New inspection results and open days, weekly by email.

Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days

Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Bolton (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.

Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days

Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Bolton (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.

Year 7 dates to calendar Reception dates to calendarHow to apply in Bolton →

Schools in Bolton (148)

Showing 20 of 148 schools

Total Schools

148

98 primary · 21 secondary

Total Pupils

56,846

96% capacity used

Ofsted Rated

36

6 outstanding · 30 good

Capacity

59,337

2,491 spare places

Ofsted Ratings

30
112
Outstanding: 6
Good: 30
Not inspected: 112

Best Schools in Bolton

View the full league table - ranked by Ofsted, Progress 8, KS2 results and more

Area Performance (2026)

Attainment 8

39.3

GCSE Eng+Maths

35.0%

School Capacity

Primary Schools

97% full
29,528 pupils30,470 capacity

942 spare places

Secondary Schools

96% full
21,460 pupils22,422 capacity

962 spare places

Pupil Absence

Avg Overall Absence

6.2%

2024/25

Avg Persistent Absence

16.2%

2024/25

Schools Reporting

119

2024/25

Absence trend across Bolton schools

4.5%
18/19
4.2%
20/21
6.7%
21/22
6.5%
22/23
6.3%
23/24
6.2%
24/25

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Average across all open schools in this LA.

EHCP Timeliness

Issued Within 20 Weeks

86%

Plans Issued

538

Assessment Requests

814

Tribunal Cases

15

EHCP timeliness trend (% issued within 20 weeks)

40%
2019
54%
2020
62%
2021
44%
2022
44%
2023
71%
2024
86%
2025

Source: DfE EHCP timeliness statistics. Shows how quickly this LA issues Education, Health and Care Plans.

Admission Appeals

2026 admission appeals by school phase

Primary

4,289 admissions

169

Lodged

(3.9%)

113

Heard

11

Successful

(10%)

Primary (infant classes)

3,814 admissions

72

Lodged

(1.9%)

52

Heard

1

Successful

(2%)

Secondary

4,577 admissions

337

Lodged

(7.4%)

288

Heard

73

Successful

(25%)

Total

8,866 admissions

506

Lodged

(5.7%)

401

Heard

84

Successful

(21%)

Total appeals lodged per year

2432
2019
2276
2020
1418
2021
1296
2022
1262
2023
1466
2024
1220
2025
1084
2026

Source: DfE admission appeals statistics. Shows how competitive school places are in this area.

Towns in Bolton

Bolton

142 schools

BOLTON

3 schools

Manchester

2 schools

Horwich, Bolton

1 schools

Questions parents ask about schools in Bolton

How many schools are there in Bolton?

Bolton has 148 open schools: 98 state primary, 22 state secondary or all-through, 9 independent, 14 special and 5 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Bolton are rated Outstanding?

20 schools in Bolton were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Prestolee Primary School, Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Primary School, Blackrod Primary School, Green Fold School, The Valley Community Primary School and 15 more. Counting Good as well, 90% 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.

Prestolee Primary SchoolSacred Heart Roman Catholic Primary SchoolBlackrod Primary SchoolGreen Fold SchoolThe Valley Community 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 88 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); The Olive School, Bolton (98% in reading, 98% in maths); and St Andrew's CofE Primary School, Over Hulton (94% in reading, 97% 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 SchoolThe Olive School, BoltonSt Andrew's CofE Primary School, Over Hulton

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, Bolton 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 Bolton 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.

Explore More

The Great School Divide
Anatomy of Outstanding
League Tables