Bowness Primary School, Bolton
Bowness Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Bolton, part of Prestolee Multi Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2018. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the highest of the 89 schools in Bolton with published results, and 1st of 14,452 across England. It was 85% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2018)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- 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
Bowness Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 100% of Year 6 pupils at Bowness Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 100% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 78% in Bolton and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 91% in reading and 77% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Bowness Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 20 families put Bowness Primary School as their first choice and 51 named it as one of their preferences, for 20 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. 4 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Bowness Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Bowness Primary School are St Teresa's RC Primary School a Voluntary Academy (0.2 miles); St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Little Lever (0.3 miles, Good, 58% reading, 68% maths); Mytham Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 71% reading, 67% maths); and Masefield Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 95% reading, 89% maths).
Bowness Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 3 of them.
St Teresa's RC Primary School a Voluntary AcademySt Matthew's CofE Primary School, Little LeverMytham Primary SchoolMasefield Primary School
The trust
Bowness Primary School is one of 10 schools run by Prestolee Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 62% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
40.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 29 pupils (22.5%) received SEN support and 11 (8.5%) 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.
Staffing
Bowness Primary School had 8 teachers in 2026, one for every 15 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Moses Gate Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Little Lever High School (outside), 60 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Bowness Primary School issued 13 suspensions, 10.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
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; DfE school workforce census; 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 agoThis judgement is from October 2018, 8 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its October 2018 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
40.3%
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 91% to 100% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 77% to 100% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 77% to 86% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
21.5
Avg class size
17.0
Infant (KS1)
23.7
KS2
6
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Bowness Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Bowness Primary School.
- The Club at BownessAt the school · Not yet graded
- Mytham Road Out Of School Club930m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Bowness Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Bowness 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
- 10
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 8
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 7 slight.
8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 6 in a vehicle or otherwise.
3 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 Bowness Primary School
Will you get a place at Bowness Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Bowness Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Bowness Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Bowness 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 Bowness Primary School for 2016 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
85%
Available places
119 pupils
140 places
21 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(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
29
SEN Support
11
EHC Plans
31.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
129
Total Pupils
50
Boys
79
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
8
Teachers
16.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,629
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,375
Per pupil
£912k
Total funding
£80k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.6%
Overall absence
27.4%
Persistent absence
106
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
Bowness Primary School
Questions parents ask about Bowness Primary School
What are SATs results like at Bowness Primary School?
Of the pupils at Bowness Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 100% reached the expected standard in reading and 100% did so in maths.
What is Bowness Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Bowness Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2018, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Bowness Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Bowness 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 Bowness Primary School?
Bowness Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 85% of its 140 places.
How big are the classes at Bowness Primary School?
Classes at Bowness Primary School average 21.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Bowness Primary School?
Bowness Primary School has around 129 pupils on roll. 40% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Bowness Primary School?
8.6% of sessions were missed at Bowness Primary School in 2024/25. 27.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Bowness Primary School?
Apply through Bolton's coordinated admissions process, naming Bowness 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 Bowness Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: The Club at Bowness (registered, not yet graded). There is another within a kilometre. The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Bowness Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 7 slight. 8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 6 in a vehicle or otherwise. 3 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 Bowness Primary School?
Bowness Primary School is at Church Street, Little Lever, Bolton, Lancashire, BL3 1BT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)