Gilnow Primary School, Bolton

Ofsted's report card from its 16 June 2026 inspection grades Gilnow Primary School on 7 areas: 7 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Expected standard. "Typically, pupils progress through the curriculum well."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Pupils attend school regularly."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have designed and implemented an ambitious curriculum."

Early years - Expected standard. "Leaders have established an exciting, vocabulary-rich curriculum to secure children's language skills swiftly."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Effective pastoral support ensures that the voice of every family is heard when a pupil starts school."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders accurately identify what the school does well."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have implemented a suitable programme to support pupils' personal development and wellbeing."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that teachers consistently implement well-thought-out activities across the curriculum in key stage 2 to promote and improve pupils' fluency in writing"; "Leaders should refine the processes in place to evaluate the impact of their actions to improve teaching. They should use this information to continue to drive improvements"; "Leaders should ensure that teachers consistently provide well-thought-out activities to pupils with SEND in the classroom to meet their needs and help them learn well".

In 2025, 72% of Year 6 pupils at Gilnow Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 69% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 78% in Bolton and 77% and 75% across England.

Results rose from 57% in reading and 46% in maths in 2024.

With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.

For September 2026 entry, 18 families put Gilnow Primary School as their first choice and 39 named it as one of their preferences, for 23 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to Gilnow Primary School are Pikes Lane Primary School (0.2 miles, Outstanding, 64% reading, 69% maths); Haslam Park Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 80% reading, 78% maths); St Ethelbert's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy (0.6 miles, 88% reading, 73% maths); and Devonshire Road Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 71% reading, 80% maths).

Gilnow Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.

91.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are Asian (69%), Black (18%) and other ethnic groups (5%).

In 2026, 44 pupils (19.9%) received SEN support and 6 (2.7%) 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 a moderate learning difficulty.

The nearest railway station is Bolton Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.

6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Gilnow Gardens (near), 130 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Gilnow Primary School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In 2024/25, Gilnow Primary School issued 1 suspension, 0.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to Gilnow Primary School are University Collegiate School (0.4 miles), Bolton Muslim Girls School (0.7 miles) and Ladybridge High School (1.3 miles).