Green Fold School, Bolton

Outstanding
Special
Community special school
Mixed
Ages 411

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Lisa Walker
Pupils:172 / 132 capacity
LA:Bolton
Phone:01204335883
Address:Highfield Road, Farnworth, Bolton, BL4 0NS
Federation:The Orchards Federation
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Outstanding

Overall

URN:105281
UKPRN:10077020
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Bolton South and Walkden
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Green Fold School excels at helping children with complex needs thrive through expert staff, outstanding facilities and therapy programmes tailored to each child. Staff treat every child as an individual, not a diagnosis, creating a positive 'can do' atmosphere where pupils feel safe, valued and supported. Parents consistently praise the school's approachable team and regular communication about their child's progress.

Key Strengths

  • Pupils make excellent progress from their starting points due to high expectations and staff expertise
  • Bright, vibrant school environment with well-cared-for classrooms and staff who take pride in their work
  • Expert communication with all pupils using assistive technology, picture boards, iPads and hand gestures
  • Strong pastoral care and support for pupils' academic, personal and physical development
  • Excellent transition planning for pupils moving to secondary school and between year groups

Areas for Improvement

  • Analysis of pupils' performance in the early years foundation stage needs to be sharpened so good practice can be shared more widely
  • New assessment systems need to be fully embedded and their effectiveness closely monitored
  • Teachers should use more creative ways to help pupils understand how to keep themselves safe in society

Safeguarding

Safeguarding is effective with high-quality arrangements, detailed records, and well-trained staff who understand pupils' vulnerability and communication barriers; however, safety education across the curriculum could be delivered more effectively to ensure all pupils understand how to keep themselves safe.

Extracurricular Activities

Hydrotherapy sessions, play leader programmes with mainstream school volunteers, transition visits to secondary school, parent support groups with training (including first aid)

Green Fold School continues to be outstanding, maintaining excellent quality education since its last inspection in 2012. The leadership team has created an environment where pupils with a wide range of needs flourish through high expectations, expert staff, and exemplary resources and therapy.

At a Glance

41.3%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

SLCN - Speech, language and Communication, ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder, PD - Physical Disability, SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty

SEN Provision

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
ReadingMathsWriting

Reading has remained stable at around 0%. Maths has remained stable at around 0%. Writing has remained stable at around 0%.

Class Sizes

0.0

Avg class size

0

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

Cherry Tree Primary School (o/s)
90m · 1 min walk
Whins Avenue (nr)
126m · 2 min walk
Windermere Road (S-bound)
131m · 2 min walk
Mount Pleasant Road (nr)
197m · 3 min walk
Starling Drive (E-bound)
231m · 4 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

130%

Over capacity

172 pupils

132 capacity

40 places over capacity

Area Demand Pressure - Bolton

High pressure
New homes approved:5,330
Projected new pupils:959

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Bolton

Admissions Demand - Bolton

Low demand0.92x oversubscription

Places available

4,380

Applications

4,014

Got 1st preference

82.6%

Got preferred school

95.0%

Secondary admissions across Bolton (2025/26)

Inspection History(106)

Date not published by Ofsted
Outstanding
Date not published by Ofsted
Outstanding
Date not published by Ofsted
Outstanding

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

11.07715%

Overall absence

29.74684%

Persistent absence

158

Enrolments

Authorised8.68775%
Unauthorised2.38939%
Persistent (10%+)29.74684%
Severe (50%+)3.16456%

Absence trend

9.32025%
18/19
6.67511%
20/21
12.87798%
21/22
10.06396%
22/23
11.49274%
23/24
11.07715%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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