Beacon Primary School, Bolton
Beacon Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Bolton, part of Forward As One Church of England Multi Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 84th-highest of the 89 schools in Bolton with published results, and 12,897th of 14,452 across England. It was 88% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
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.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Beacon Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 68% of Year 6 pupils at Beacon Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 52% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 78% in Bolton and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 63% in reading and 63% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Beacon Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 18 families put Beacon Primary School as their first choice and 34 named it as one of their preferences, for 21 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Beacon Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Beacon Primary School are Horwich Parish CofE Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 80% reading, 88% maths); St Catherine's CofE Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 69% reading, 69% maths); St Mary's RC Primary School (1 mile, Good, 75% reading, 69% maths); and Chorley New Road Primary Academy (1 mile, 78% reading, 73% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Beacon Primary School.
Horwich Parish CofE Primary SchoolSt Catherine's CofE Primary SchoolSt Mary's RC Primary SchoolChorley New Road Primary Academy
The trust
Beacon Primary School is one of 17 schools run by Forward As One Church of England Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 69% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
All 17 schools in Forward As One Church of England Multi Academy Trust
Who goes there
60.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Blackrod Rail Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.
16 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Rivington & Blackrod Lower School (outside), 40 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Beacon Primary School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Beacon Primary School issued 28 suspensions, 12.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Beacon Primary School are Rivington and Blackrod High School (0.6 miles) and St Joseph's RC High School (1.4 miles).
Rivington and Blackrod High SchoolSt Joseph's RC High School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its March 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
60.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 63% to 68% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 63% to 52% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 63% to 56% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
22.0
Avg class size
22.3
Infant (KS1)
27.8
KS2
9
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Beacon Primary School
Before and after school care
Beacon Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Bolton
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Beacon Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Beacon Primary School is in Bolton; for families living there:
Apply to Bolton for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 22
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 9
- Children hurt
- 5
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 22 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 9 serious and 12 slight.
5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
6 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Bolton is 14 (the median across 148 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Beacon Primary School
Will you get a place at Beacon Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Beacon Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Beacon Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Beacon Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Bolton, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Beacon Primary School for 2019 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Bolton got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
88%
Available places
184 pupils
210 places
26 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Bolton
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Bolton
Across Bolton council
Places available
4,015
Applications
3,455
Got 1st preference
89.5%
Got preferred school
96.8%
All primary applications across Bolton council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
41
SEN Support
11
EHC Plans
24.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
209
Total Pupils
101
Boys
108
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
19.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,729
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,645
Per pupil
£1408k
Total funding
£170k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
9.0%
Overall absence
31.1%
Persistent absence
180
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Beacon Primary School
Questions parents ask about Beacon Primary School
What are SATs results like at Beacon Primary School?
Of the pupils at Beacon Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 68% reached the expected standard in reading and 52% did so in maths.
What is Beacon Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Beacon Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2017 it was rated Inadequate.
What is the catchment area for Beacon Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Beacon Primary School is oversubscribed, Bolton allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Beacon Primary School?
Beacon Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 88% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at Beacon Primary School?
Classes at Beacon Primary School average 22 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Beacon Primary School?
Beacon Primary School has around 209 pupils on roll. 61% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Beacon Primary School?
9% of sessions were missed at Beacon Primary School in 2024/25. 31.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Beacon Primary School?
Apply through Bolton's coordinated admissions process, naming Beacon Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Beacon Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Beacon Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school.
How many road collisions happen near Beacon Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 22 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 9 serious and 12 slight. 5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 6 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Bolton is 14 (the median across 148 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Beacon Primary School?
Beacon Primary School is at Peter Martin Street, Horwich, Bolton, Greater Manchester, BL6 7AL.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)