Sharples Primary School, Bolton
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
Sharples Primary School excels at helping all children feel welcome and included regardless of their background or ability. The school's dedicated support for pupils with visual impairment and those learning English as an additional language is outstanding, enabling these pupils to make exceptional progress. Teachers create engaging, fun lessons that motivate pupils to learn and develop as caring, responsible individuals.
Key Strengths
- Pupils achieve well in mathematics with good progress from Years 1-6
- Outstanding progress by pupils who speak English as an additional language and those with visual impairment
- Good behaviour and safety with clear systems in place and strong pastoral support
- Strong leadership driving improvement and raising standards since the last inspection
- Early phonics teaching in Years 1-2 is effective with pupils achieving above national average
Areas for Improvement
- English teaching not as strong as mathematics, with slower progress especially for most able pupils
- Teachers' marking lacks clear next steps for pupils to improve their writing
- Reading guidance to parents through reading journals needs to be more detailed and helpful
- Most able pupils not given enough challenging tasks in reading and writing across subjects
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective with clear systems in place and all adults showing respect and support for pupils' wellbeing.
Extracurricular Activities
Karate club
Sharples Primary School is a good school where children make good progress from Early Years through Key Stage 2, with particularly outstanding achievement among pupils who speak English as an additional language and those in the visually impaired resource provision.
At a Glance
20.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
VI - Visual Impairment
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
22 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 75% to 69%. Maths has declined from 81% to 75%. Writing has remained stable at around 78%.
Class Sizes
27.1
Avg class size
30.5
Infant (KS1)
33.7
KS2
7
Total classes
4 classes with more than 30 pupils
2024/25 academic year
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
117%
Over capacity
245 pupils
210 capacity
35 places over capacity
Area Demand Pressure - Bolton
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Bolton
Admissions Demand - Bolton
Places available
4,105
Applications
3,501
Got 1st preference
89.7%
Got preferred school
97.6%
Primary admissions across Bolton (2025/26)
Inspection History(9)
House Prices
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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.
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.
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.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.83655%
Overall absence
9.54774%
Persistent absence
199
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
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Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Sharples Primary School
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