Blackrod Primary School, BOLTON
Blackrod Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Bolton. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2024. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 9th-highest of the 89 schools in BOLTON with published results, and 1,291st of 14,452 across England. It was 99% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2024)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than 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
Blackrod Primary School in detail
Blackrod Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "I would like to take this opportunity to extend a warm welcome to Blackrod Primary School. Blackrod Primary School is a highly successful, popular school in the North-West of Bolton. The key to our success is our love of life and learning within a school where children feel cared for, supported, respected and safe."
Coming up: an open day on Wednesday 4 November 2026 at 10am, an open day on Wednesday 11 November 2026 at 1.30pm and an open evening on Wednesday 11 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Bolton
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 89% of Year 6 pupils at Blackrod Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 93% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 78% in Bolton and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (95% in reading, 90% in maths).
Getting a place at Blackrod Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 44 families put Blackrod Primary School as their first choice and 89 named it as one of their preferences, for 45 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 4 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Blackrod Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Blackrod Primary School are Blackrod Anglican/Methodist Primary School (0.9 miles, Good, 66% reading, 75% maths); St Catherine's CofE Primary School (1 mile, Good, 69% reading, 69% maths); St David Haigh and Aspull CofE Primary School (1.2 miles, Good, 94% reading, 94% maths); and Our Lady's RC Primary School Wigan (1.2 miles, Outstanding, 91% reading, 97% maths).
Blackrod Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
Blackrod Anglican/Methodist Primary SchoolSt Catherine's CofE Primary SchoolSt David Haigh and Aspull CofE Primary SchoolOur Lady's RC Primary School Wigan
Who goes there
8.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 3.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (83%) and Mixed (6%).
In 2026, 16 pupils (5.1%) received SEN support and 7 (2.3%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is autism.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Blackrod Rail Station, about 670 metres away (roughly a 8-minute walk).
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Blackrod Primary School (outside), 50 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
Blackrod Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Blackrod Primary School excels at creating a happy, supportive environment where pupils thrive academically and personally. Staff expertly adapt teaching to meet every pupil's needs, including those with additional support requirements, ensuring all pupils build strong knowledge and skills. The school goes above and beyond by offering enriching activities like photography, British Sign Language, forest learning, and community projects that develop confident, well-rounded children.
Key Strengths
- Meticulous curriculum design with expert staff who ignite pupils' curiosity through carefully selected trips and links to different careers
- Highly effective phonics programme with strong support for pupils who struggle to keep up
- Exceptional approach to personal development through community projects and outdoor learning activities
- Strong focus on positive relationships and pupil well-being, creating calm and purposeful learning environments
- Outstanding early years provision with excellent routines that promote positive behaviour
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with the school prioritising pupil safety and creating a positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Photography, British Sign Language, outdoor forest learning activities, cooking up connections multi-generational project, eco-council litter reduction initiative, masked reader challenge, reading den, breakfast club, after-school club
Blackrod Primary School is rated Outstanding across all areas. Pupils flourish and are happy, with the school providing an exceptional curriculum that enables them to achieve extremely well and prepare for modern society.
At a Glance
8.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 95% to 89% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 93% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 88% to 80% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.3
Avg class size
26.3
Infant (KS1)
29.3
KS2
11
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Blackrod Primary School
18th September 2026 Newsletter
18 Sep 2026
Welcome back to School
Parental Controls booklet 2025
Blackrod Primary School Autumn Calendar 2026
From Blackrod Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Blackrod Primary School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Blackrod Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Blackrod 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
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 2 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
1 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 Blackrod Primary School
Will you get a place at Blackrod Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Blackrod Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Blackrod Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Blackrod 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 Blackrod Primary School for 2014 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
99%
Near capacity
312 pupils
315 places
3 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: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(5)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
16
SEN Support
7
EHC Plans
7.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
311
Total Pupils
170
Boys
141
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
15
Teachers
20.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,899
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,040
Per pupil
£1716k
Total funding
£36k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.3%
Overall absence
4.0%
Persistent absence
274
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
Blackrod Primary School
Questions parents ask about Blackrod Primary School
What are SATs results like at Blackrod Primary School?
Of the pupils at Blackrod Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 89% reached the expected standard in reading and 93% did so in maths.
What is Blackrod Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Blackrod Primary School was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2024.
What is the catchment area for Blackrod Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Blackrod 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 Blackrod Primary School?
Blackrod Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Blackrod Primary School?
Classes at Blackrod Primary School average 28.3 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Blackrod Primary School?
Blackrod Primary School has around 311 pupils on roll. 8% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Blackrod Primary School?
3.3% of sessions were missed at Blackrod Primary School in 2024/25. 4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Blackrod Primary School?
Apply through Bolton's coordinated admissions process, naming Blackrod 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.
How many road collisions happen near Blackrod Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 2 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 1 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 Blackrod Primary School?
Blackrod Primary School is at Manchester Road, Blackrod, BOLTON, Lancashire, BL6 5SY.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)