Kearsley West Primary School, Bolton
Kearsley West 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 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in December 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 14th-highest of the 89 schools in Bolton with published results, and 2,040th of 14,452 across England. It was 98% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
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
Kearsley West Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 90% of Year 6 pupils at Kearsley West Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 87% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 78% in Bolton and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 61% in reading and 67% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Kearsley West Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 27 families put Kearsley West Primary School as their first choice and 55 named it as one of their preferences, for 27 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Kearsley West Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Kearsley West Primary School are St Peter's CofE Primary School (0.3 miles, Outstanding, 72% reading, 67% maths); St John Church of England Primary School, Farnworth (0.4 miles); St Gregory's RC Primary School, A Voluntary Academy (0.4 miles, Good, 86% reading, 86% maths); and St Stephen's CofE Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 60% reading, 73% maths).
Kearsley West Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 3 of them.
St Peter's CofE Primary SchoolSt John Church of England Primary School, FarnworthSt Gregory's RC Primary School, A Voluntary AcademySt Stephen's CofE Primary School
What parents say
27 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Kearsley West Primary School (as of September 2025): 96% would recommend the school, 96% say their child is happy there and 83% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (83%).
Who goes there
In 2026, 80 pupils (33.9%) received SEN support and 14 (5.9%) 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 Farnworth Rail Station, about 810 metres away (roughly a 10-minute walk).
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Jackson Street (near), 210 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Kearsley West Primary School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Kearsley West Primary School issued 3 suspensions, 1.2 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; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from March 2015, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's December 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school creates an exceptionally nurturing environment where children thrive both academically and emotionally. Teachers have strong subject knowledge and are particularly skilled at teaching reading and supporting children with additional needs. The school offers impressive enrichment opportunities, from the passport system to performing at prestigious events, helping every child discover and develop their talents.
Key Strengths
- Exceptional behaviour and conduct - pupils follow routines well and respond to high expectations
- Expert teaching of early reading with strong support for struggling learners
- Ambitious, well-designed curriculum that connects subjects and relates to local heritage
- Strong identification and support for pupils with special educational needs
- Extensive enrichment activities and opportunities for pupils to develop leadership skills
Areas for Improvement
- In some subjects, strategies to help pupils remember and retain learning over time are not as effective as they could be
- Some pupils struggle to recall previous learning and find it difficult to link past and current knowledge in certain subjects
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with strong procedures in place that prioritise pupils' interests and well-being.
Extracurricular Activities
Farnworth Matters Celebration, enrichment activities with passport graduation ceremony at Bolton University, subject ambassador roles, therapy dog sessions
Kearsley West Primary School has successfully maintained the good standards from its previous inspection. It is an exceptionally nurturing school where pupils conduct themselves impeccably and most achieve well in their studies.
At a Glance
30.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
27 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 61% to 90% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 67% to 87% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 64% to 81% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
25.4
Avg class size
29.7
Infant (KS1)
28.7
KS2
8
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Kearsley West Primary School
Before and after school care
Kearsley West Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Bolton
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Kearsley West Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Kearsley West 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
- 40
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 9
- Children hurt
- 6
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 40 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 9 serious and 30 slight.
6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt.
9 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 Kearsley West Primary School
Will you get a place at Kearsley West Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Kearsley West Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Kearsley West Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Kearsley West 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 Kearsley West 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.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
98%
Near capacity
205 pupils
210 places
5 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: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
80
SEN Support
14
EHC Plans
39.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
236
Total Pupils
116
Boys
120
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
12
Teachers
19.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,751
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,106
Per pupil
£1457k
Total funding
£94k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.9%
Overall absence
19.0%
Persistent absence
184
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
Kearsley West Primary School
Questions parents ask about Kearsley West Primary School
What are SATs results like at Kearsley West Primary School?
Of the pupils at Kearsley West Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 90% reached the expected standard in reading and 87% did so in maths.
What is Kearsley West Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Kearsley West Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2015, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Kearsley West Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Kearsley West 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 Kearsley West Primary School?
Kearsley West Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 98% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Kearsley West Primary School?
Classes at Kearsley West Primary School average 25.4 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Kearsley West Primary School?
Kearsley West Primary School has around 236 pupils on roll. 31% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Kearsley West Primary School?
5.9% of sessions were missed at Kearsley West Primary School in 2024/25. 19% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Kearsley West Primary School?
Apply through Bolton's coordinated admissions process, naming Kearsley West 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 Kearsley West Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Kearsley West Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school.
How many road collisions happen near Kearsley West Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 40 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 9 serious and 30 slight. 6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt. 9 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 Kearsley West Primary School?
Kearsley West Primary School is at Primrose Street, Kearsley, Bolton, Lancashire, BL4 9BZ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)