Little Lever School, Bolton

Ofsted's report card from its 19 May 2026 inspection grades Little Lever School on 6 areas: 1 strong standard and 5 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Curriculum and teaching - Strong standard. "Leaders have designed a curriculum that ensures pupils develop a deep understanding of what they are taught."

Achievement - Expected standard. "Typically, the grades that pupils attain in their examinations at the end of Year 11 are similar to national averages."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders understand the importance of regular attendance and the impact that this can have on pupils' education."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders, including trustees, know the school well."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have established a personal development programme that teaches pupils what they need to know about themselves and the world around them."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that strategies are put in place to support pupils to sustain consistently high attendance rates and therefore benefit fully from the education that the school provides"; "Leaders should ensure that pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, develop the self-discipline and skills required to manage their own behaviours and emotions".

In its own words: "At Little Lever School, everything we do is driven by a simple but powerful core purpose: To help every young person achieve things they never thought they could. We set high expectations of behaviour and behaviour for learning at Little Lever. We do this because, very simply, it helps every person achieve things they never thought they could!"

From the headteacher's welcome: "Together, as a team of pupils and adults Team Little Lever created a very clear core purpose for everyone... This is the reason we all come to school everyday to help ourselves and others achieve things they never thought they could. To give everyone that magic feeling of success."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, netball, cricket, basketball, multi-sports, dance, orchestra, guitar, chess and Lego.

In 2026, pupils at Little Lever School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 45.8, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.6 in Bolton and 47 across England.

57% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 48% in Bolton and 47% in England.

That is in line with 2025, when the score was 46.2.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.13: pupils made above average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 34.6, against 49.7 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 15.1 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 25 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 216 families put Little Lever School as their first choice and 356 named it as one of their preferences, for 231 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 2 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Little Lever School are Harper Green School (1.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 42.6); Kearsley Academy (1.6 miles, Good, Attainment 8 51.1); Mount St Joseph RC High School a Voluntary Academy (1.6 miles, Attainment 8 41.5); and St James's Church of England High School (1.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 48.1).

Little Lever School's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.

Little Lever School is run by its own single-school academy trust.

Of the 206 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 78% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 50% to a further education college, 6% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.

7.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (83%), Asian (7%) and Mixed (5%).

The nearest railway station is Moses Gate Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.

6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Little Lever High School (outside), 50 metres away.

In 2024/25, Little Lever School issued 939 suspensions, 88.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Little Lever School are Bowness Primary School (under 0.1 miles); St Teresa's RC Primary School a Voluntary Academy (0.3 miles); St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Little Lever (0.3 miles); and Mytham Primary School (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.