Blackshaw Primary School, Bolton
Blackshaw Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Bolton. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2011. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 56th-highest of the 89 schools in Bolton with published results, and 8,057th of 14,452 across England. It was 94% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2011)
- 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
Blackshaw Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 72% of Year 6 pupils at Blackshaw Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 79% 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 (63% in reading, 83% in maths).
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Blackshaw Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 29 families put Blackshaw Primary School as their first choice and 54 named it as one of their preferences, for 28 places offered. That is slightly more first choices than places. 3 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Blackshaw Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Blackshaw Primary School are SS Osmund and Andrew's R.C. Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 65% reading, 77% maths); Leverhulme Community Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 55% reading, 57% maths); Masefield Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 95% reading, 89% maths); and Bowness Primary School (0.9 miles, Good, 100% reading, 100% maths).
Blackshaw Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
SS Osmund and Andrew's R.C. Primary SchoolLeverhulme Community Primary SchoolMasefield Primary SchoolBowness Primary School
What parents say
36 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Blackshaw Primary School (as of September 2025): 86% would recommend the school, 94% say their child is happy there and 71% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (97%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (71%).
Who goes there
8.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (85%) and Mixed (6%).
In 2026, 54 pupils (24.8%) received SEN support and 7 (3.2%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Moses Gate Rail Station, about 1.6 miles away in a straight line.
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bideford Drive (near), 150 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Blackshaw Primary School issued 1 suspension, 0.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Blackshaw Primary School are Little Lever School (0.9 miles) and Bolton St Catherine's Academy (1.4 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from March 2011, 15 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's October 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Blackshaw Primary School creates a warm, inclusive community where all children feel valued and can thrive. The school excels at fostering a genuine love of reading through engaging texts, library visits, and poetry assemblies. Staff provide particularly strong support for children with additional needs, ensuring they are fully included in school life and learn well alongside their classmates.
Key Strengths
- Strong emphasis on reading with well-stocked libraries, poetry assemblies, and carefully chosen texts that help pupils develop a love of books
- Excellent provision for pupils with SEND, who are fully included and supported to learn alongside their peers
- Rich opportunities for personal development including leadership roles, charity work, and community engagement
- Calm and purposeful classrooms where pupils show respect and mature attitudes toward differences
- Well-trained staff delivering effective phonics teaching from Reception Year onwards
Areas for Improvement
- In some subjects, the school has not clearly defined what knowledge pupils should learn and in what order, which limits some pupils' understanding
- Some variability in how staff deliver the curriculum and check pupils' understanding of new concepts
- Further refinement needed in curriculum content and sequencing in some early years areas of learning
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with school leaders creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Sports clubs, science club, gardening club, choir, resident therapy dog care, museum visits, zoo visits, residential trips, Halloween disco
Blackshaw Primary School is a welcoming community where pupils are proud and happy to attend. The school has high expectations for achievement and provides a broad, balanced curriculum with a strong focus on reading.
At a Glance
19.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
36 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 63% to 72% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 83% to 79% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 57% to 72% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
23.9
Avg class size
26.7
Infant (KS1)
29.3
KS2
9
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Blackshaw Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Blackshaw Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Blackshaw 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)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
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 Blackshaw Primary School
Will you get a place at Blackshaw Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Blackshaw Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Blackshaw Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Blackshaw 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 Blackshaw 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.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
94%
Near capacity
197 pupils
210 places
13 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(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
54
SEN Support
7
EHC Plans
28.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
218
Total Pupils
120
Boys
98
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
19.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,798
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,544
Per pupil
£1238k
Total funding
£53k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.2%
Overall absence
11.2%
Persistent absence
179
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
Blackshaw Primary School
Questions parents ask about Blackshaw Primary School
What are SATs results like at Blackshaw Primary School?
Of the pupils at Blackshaw Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 72% reached the expected standard in reading and 79% did so in maths.
What is Blackshaw Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Blackshaw Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2011, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Blackshaw Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Blackshaw 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 Blackshaw Primary School?
Blackshaw Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 94% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at Blackshaw Primary School?
Classes at Blackshaw Primary School average 23.9 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Blackshaw Primary School?
Blackshaw Primary School has around 218 pupils on roll. 20% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Blackshaw Primary School?
4.2% of sessions were missed at Blackshaw Primary School in 2024/25. 11.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Blackshaw Primary School?
Apply through Bolton's coordinated admissions process, naming Blackshaw 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 Blackshaw Primary School?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in Bolton is 14 (the median across 148 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Blackshaw Primary School?
Blackshaw Primary School is at Bideford Drive, Breightmet, Bolton, Lancashire, BL2 6TE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)