Breightmet School, Bolton
Breightmet School is a special school for pupils aged 5 to 18 in Bolton. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2025. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2026 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2025)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Breightmet School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Breightmet School are Firwood High School (0.8 miles, Good); Lake House School (1.4 miles); Ladywood School (1.4 miles, Outstanding); and EdStart Schools Bolton (1.6 miles).
Firwood High SchoolLake House SchoolLadywood SchoolEdStart Schools Bolton
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Breightmet School has an education, health and care plan (18 of 18 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Hall i' th' Wood Rail Station, about 1.5 miles away in a straight line.
15 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Breightmet Health Centre (opposite), 70 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Breightmet School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 months agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Did not meet the independent school standards in Part 1 (quality of education), Part 3 (welfare, health and safety), Part 5 (premises and accommodation) and Part 8 (leadership and management).
- Part 1: quality of educationNot met
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyNot met
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationNot met
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementNot met
Progress-monitoring inspection, 3 February 2026: The school did not meet all the standards Ofsted checked.
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Breightmet School has made significant progress in improving how it teaches. The school now has a well-structured curriculum that clearly shows pupils what they need to learn and how to build on their existing knowledge. Teachers are well-trained to adapt lessons to match each pupil's individual needs, and pupils are making good progress from their starting points. The school keeps pupils safe with strong safeguarding practices and regular staff training.
Key Strengths
- Leaders have significantly improved the curriculum design with clearer learning goals and better progression sequences
- Staff effectively use pupils' needs and prior knowledge to adapt teaching and ensure all pupils make good progress
- Regular leadership oversight and staff training have created consistency in how teachers support pupils' learning
- Safeguarding arrangements are thorough with well-trained staff who follow clear reporting procedures
- Assessment systems are now comprehensive and well-used to shape lesson planning for individual pupils
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective - the school has a suitable policy, staff receive regular training, and leaders follow up concerns assiduously with clear routes to involve other professionals.
Breightmet School is a special school for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs and autism, all of whom have education, health and care plans. The school has made marked improvements since its last inspection and now meets all independent school standards.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Breightmet School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 17
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 17 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 13 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot.
4 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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
23%
Available places
18 pupils
80 places
62 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Bolton
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Bolton
Across Bolton council
Places available
4,385
Applications
3,868
Got 1st preference
87.1%
Got preferred school
96.8%
All secondary applications across Bolton council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(4)
Independent school Progress Monitoring inspection
Outcome: the school did not meet all the standards Ofsted checked.
Independent school standard inspection - first
Did not meet the independent school standards in Part 1 (quality of education), Part 3 (welfare, health and safety), Part 5 (premises and accommodation) and Part 8 (leadership and management).
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
18
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Breightmet School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
18
Total Pupils
15
Boys
3
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Breightmet School
Showing 10 of 13 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Breightmet School
What is Breightmet School's Ofsted rating?
Breightmet School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2026, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2025, it was rated Requires Improvement.
Does Breightmet School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in June 2025, Breightmet School did not meet the independent school standards in Part 1 (quality of education), Part 3 (welfare, health and safety), Part 5 (premises and accommodation) and Part 8 (leadership and management). At a later progress-monitoring inspection in February 2026, the school did not meet all the standards Ofsted checked.
How many pupils go to Breightmet School?
Breightmet School has around 18 pupils on roll.
Does Breightmet School have specialist SEN provision?
Breightmet School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Breightmet School?
Breightmet School is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near Breightmet School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 17 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 13 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot. 4 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 Breightmet School?
Breightmet School is at Milnthorpe Road, Breightmet, Bolton, BL2 6PD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)