Ss Simon & Jude CofE Primary School, Bolton: admissions history
How many families applied, how many places there were, and how far the last place went - every year we hold.
For September 2026 entry, 54 families put Ss Simon & Jude CofE Primary School, Bolton as their first choice and 90 named it as one of their preferences, for 58 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places, so in 2026 a family who put it first could expect an offer unless the school's other criteria ruled them out.
First-choice demand has fallen from 85 in 2021 to 54 in 2026, while places went from 60 to 58.
Across Bolton, 89% of families were offered their first-choice primary school for 2026 entry, and 97% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2025, families in Bolton lodged 234 appeals against primary school offers; 194 reached a hearing and 26 succeeded (13.4% of those heard).
Applications and offers by year
| Entry year | Places offered | First choices | Named at all | First choices per place | First choices not offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 58 | 54 | 90 | 0.9 | 0 |
| 2025 | 60 | 55 | 92 | 0.9 | 0 |
| 2024 | 90 | 81 | 131 | 0.9 | 0 |
| 2023 | 60 | 75 | 117 | 1.3 | 16 |
| 2022 | 60 | 73 | 116 | 1.2 | 14 |
| 2021 | 60 | 85 | 120 | 1.4 | 25 |
| 2020 | 84 | 75 | 133 | 0.9 | 0 |
| 2019 | 60 | 68 | 110 | 1.1 | 9 |
| 2018 | 60 | 68 | 107 | 1.1 | 9 |
| 2017 | 60 | 61 | 112 | 1.0 | 3 |
| 2016 | 56 | 72 | 123 | 1.3 | 16 |
| 2015 | 60 | 57 | 116 | 0.9 | 4 |
| 2014 | 58 | 60 | 112 | 1.0 | 6 |
Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers (school-level file). "Places offered" is the number of offers made on national offer day, which can differ from the school's published admission number.