St Bede Academy, Bolton
St Bede Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Bolton, part of The Quill C of E Trust. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 61st-highest of the 89 schools in Bolton with published results, and 9,159th of 14,452 across England. It was 96% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- 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
St Bede Academy in detail
Results
In 2025, 69% of Year 6 pupils at St Bede Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 77% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 78% in Bolton and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (67% in reading, 78% in maths).
Getting a place at St Bede Academy
For September 2026 entry, 56 families put St Bede Academy as their first choice and 87 named it as one of their preferences, for 60 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Bede Academy are Essa Primary Academy (0.3 miles, Good, 75% reading, 78% maths); The Olive Tree Primary School Bolton (0.5 miles, Good, 82% reading, 77% maths); Heathfield Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 88% reading, 88% maths); and Brandwood Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 68% reading, 69% maths).
St Bede Academy's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
Essa Primary AcademyThe Olive Tree Primary School BoltonHeathfield Primary SchoolBrandwood Primary School
The trust
St Bede Academy is one of 3 schools run by The Quill C of E Trust, an academy trust.
Who goes there
30.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (43%), White British (35%) and Black (9%).
In 2026, 76 pupils (12.5%) received SEN support and 17 (2.8%) 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 Bolton Rail Station, about 1.5 miles away in a straight line.
20 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Gainsborough Avenue (opposite), 100 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Bede Academy 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, St Bede Academy issued 8 suspensions, 1.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Bede Academy are Essa Academy (0.3 miles), King's Leadership Academy Bolton (0.6 miles), Bolton Muslim Girls School (0.7 miles) and Ladybridge High School (1.1 miles).
Essa AcademyKing's Leadership Academy BoltonBolton Muslim Girls SchoolLadybridge High School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its October 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
30.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 69% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 77% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 83% to 61% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.9
Avg class size
29.1
Infant (KS1)
29.3
KS2
20
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Bede Academy
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Bede Academy.
- First Kick Football460m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Bede Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Bede Academy 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
- 21
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 21 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 4 serious and 16 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
4 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 St Bede Academy
Will you get a place at St Bede Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Bede Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Bede Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Bede Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Bolton, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Bede Academy 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
96%
Near capacity
606 pupils
630 places
24 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: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
76
SEN Support
17
EHC Plans
15.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
610
Total Pupils
325
Boys
285
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
35
Teachers
17.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£47,895
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,281
Per pupil
£3603k
Total funding
£201k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.9%
Overall absence
16.1%
Persistent absence
558
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
Questions parents ask about St Bede Academy
What are SATs results like at St Bede Academy?
Of the pupils at St Bede Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 69% reached the expected standard in reading and 77% did so in maths.
What is St Bede Academy's Ofsted rating?
St Bede Academy was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in October 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2009 it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for St Bede Academy?
No fixed boundary. When St Bede Academy is oversubscribed, Bolton allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Bede Academy?
St Bede Academy was close to full in 2025, at 96% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at St Bede Academy?
Classes at St Bede Academy average 28.9 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Bede Academy?
St Bede Academy has around 610 pupils on roll. 30% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Bede Academy?
5.9% of sessions were missed at St Bede Academy in 2024/25. 16.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Bede Academy?
Apply through Bolton's coordinated admissions process, naming St Bede Academy 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 St Bede Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of St Bede Academy: First Kick Football (460m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near St Bede Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 21 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 4 serious and 16 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 4 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 St Bede Academy?
St Bede Academy is at Morris Green Lane, Bolton, Lancashire, BL3 3LJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)