Rivington Foundation Primary School, Bolton
Rivington Foundation 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 January 2020. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 12th-highest of the 89 schools in Bolton with published results, and 1,757th of 14,452 across England. It was 95% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2020)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Lancashire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Rivington Foundation Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 86% of Year 6 pupils at Rivington Foundation Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 93% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 74% in Lancashire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 75% in reading and 63% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Rivington Foundation Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 12 families put Rivington Foundation Primary School as their first choice and 29 named it as one of their preferences, for 14 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Rivington Foundation Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Rivington Foundation Primary School are St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Anderton (1.2 miles, Good, 71% reading, 74% maths); Anderton Primary School (1.3 miles, Good, 65% reading, 65% maths); Adlington St Paul's Church of England Primary School (1.5 miles, Good, 89% reading, 74% maths); and Beacon Primary School (1.7 miles, Good, 68% reading, 52% maths).
Rivington Foundation Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, AndertonAnderton Primary SchoolAdlington St Paul's Church of England Primary SchoolBeacon Primary School
What parents say
34 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Rivington Foundation Primary School (as of September 2025): 94% would recommend the school, 97% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that the school supports their child's wider development (82%).
Who goes there
8.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 2.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (89%) and Mixed (7%).
In 2026, 19 pupils (17.4%) received SEN support and 2 (1.8%) 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 Adlington (Lancs) Rail Station, about 1.6 miles away in a straight line.
1 bus stop is within a five-minute walk; the closest is Village Hall (by), 70 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 8 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, public order offences and vehicle crime. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Lancashire (109).
Suspensions and exclusions
Rivington Foundation Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
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 January 2020, 6 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school has improved significantly.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school creates a genuine family atmosphere where every child feels valued and supported. Teachers use expert knowledge to adapt learning to each pupil's needs, and they're particularly skilled at helping children who find reading difficult to catch up quickly. The school is ambitious for all pupils, including those with additional needs, and provides a rich range of experiences both in and out of the classroom.
Key Strengths
- Exceptionally ambitious curriculum designed to help every pupil achieve their potential
- Excellent early reading provision with specialist knowledge ensuring most pupils become confident readers by Year 2
- Highly effective support for pupils with SEND, building their confidence and ensuring full participation in school life
- Impeccable pupil behaviour with a strong culture of respect and kindness
- Comprehensive after-school clubs and enrichment activities that bring the curriculum to life
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with school leaders prioritising pupils' safety and well-being.
Extracurricular Activities
Sports clubs, music, gardening, cheerleading, bird watching, rock club, disco and toast Friday celebration activity
Rivington Foundation Primary School is a welcoming and inclusive primary school where pupils thrive in warm, nurturing relationships with staff. Evidence suggests the school has improved significantly across all areas since its previous inspection in January 2020.
At a Glance
8.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
34 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 75% to 86% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 63% to 93% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 69% to 86% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.3
Avg class size
26.0
Infant (KS1)
30.0
KS2
4
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Rivington Foundation Primary School
Term dates
Rivington Foundation Primary School is a foundation school, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Lancashire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Rivington Foundation Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Rivington Foundation Primary School is in Lancashire; for families living there:
- Lancashire's school travel policy: school transport policies
- How to apply: Apply for free home to school transport assistance
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 15
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 7
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 8 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
1 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 Lancashire is 12 (the median across 707 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 Rivington Foundation Primary School
Will you get a place at Rivington Foundation Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Rivington Foundation Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Rivington Foundation Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Rivington Foundation Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Lancashire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Rivington Foundation Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Lancashire 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
95%
Near capacity
100 pupils
105 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 Lancashire council
Places available
15,442
Applications
12,122
Got 1st preference
91.3%
Got preferred school
98.3%
All primary applications across Lancashire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(6)
Ungraded inspection: The school has improved significantly.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
19
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
19.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
109
Total Pupils
53
Boys
56
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
5
Teachers
21.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,805
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,925
Per pupil
£640k
Total funding
£9k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.2%
Overall absence
8.8%
Persistent absence
91
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
Rivington Foundation Primary School
Questions parents ask about Rivington Foundation Primary School
What are SATs results like at Rivington Foundation Primary School?
Of the pupils at Rivington Foundation Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 86% reached the expected standard in reading and 93% did so in maths.
What is Rivington Foundation Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Rivington Foundation Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2020, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Rivington Foundation Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Rivington Foundation Primary School is oversubscribed, Lancashire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Rivington Foundation Primary School?
Rivington Foundation Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 95% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Rivington Foundation Primary School?
Classes at Rivington Foundation Primary School average 27.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Rivington Foundation Primary School?
Rivington Foundation Primary School has around 109 pupils on roll. 8% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Rivington Foundation Primary School?
4.2% of sessions were missed at Rivington Foundation Primary School in 2024/25. 8.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Rivington Foundation Primary School?
Apply through Lancashire's coordinated admissions process, naming Rivington Foundation 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.
How many road collisions happen near Rivington Foundation Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 8 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 1 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 Lancashire is 12 (the median across 707 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Rivington Foundation Primary School?
Rivington Foundation Primary School is at Horrobin Lane, Rivington, Bolton, Lancashire, BL6 7SE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)