St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton, Bolton
St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Bolton. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 62nd-highest of the 89 schools in Bolton with published results, and 9,396th of 14,452 across England. It was 99% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Bolton (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton in detail
Results
In 2025, 71% of Year 6 pupils at St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton reached the expected standard in reading and 74% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 78% in Bolton and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 77% in reading and 77% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton
For September 2026 entry, 17 families put St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton as their first choice and 40 named it as one of their preferences, for 18 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 St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton are Oxford Grove Primary School (under 0.1 miles, Outstanding, 85% reading, 83% maths); Brownlow Fold Primary School (0.2 miles, Good, 67% reading, 63% maths); St Thomas C of E Primary School, Halliwell (0.2 miles, Good, 71% reading, 71% maths); and The Olive School, Bolton (0.3 miles, Outstanding, 98% reading, 98% maths).
St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
Oxford Grove Primary SchoolBrownlow Fold Primary SchoolSt Thomas C of E Primary School, HalliwellThe Olive School, Bolton
What parents say
15 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton (as of September 2025): 93% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 83% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (83%).
Who goes there
35.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 45.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (31%), Black (29%) and Asian (21%).
Staffing
St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton had 13 teachers in 2026, one for every 16 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Bolton Rail Station, about 1.4 miles away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Rushey Fold Lane (opposite), 120 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton 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 Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton issued 13 suspensions, 5.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton are Eden Boys' School, Bolton (0.5 miles); Smithills School (0.7 miles); and Thornleigh Salesian College (0.8 miles).
Eden Boys' School, BoltonSmithills SchoolThornleigh Salesian College
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; DfE school workforce census; 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from September 2019, 7 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: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St Joseph's is a warm, caring school where children thrive both academically and personally. The school excels at providing enriching learning experiences through outdoor education, trips, and clubs, helping pupils develop confidence and important life skills. Teachers are well-trained and ambitious for all pupils, with particularly strong support for those with additional needs.
Key Strengths
- Pupils are happy, well-behaved and have positive attitudes towards learning
- The school provides excellent opportunities for outdoor learning, trips, and enrichment activities that develop confidence and teamwork
- Effective support for pupils with additional needs, including those learning English as an additional language
- Well-trained staff deliver a broad curriculum that reflects the diversity of the school community
- Strong focus on fostering a love of reading through diverse book selections and multiple reading opportunities
Areas for Improvement
- Teachers' explanations of new concepts are not always clear enough, and they do not consistently check pupils' understanding, leading to some misunderstandings
- Support for pupils at earlier stages of reading is not consistently effective, slowing their progress to fluent and accurate reading
- Some pupils do not receive consistent support during phonics instruction
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Science club, art club, cooking club, drumming club, football club, dance, lacrosse, hockey, swimming, trips to museums and places of worship, outdoor learning activities, before and after-school club
St Joseph's RC Primary School is a happy, caring school where pupils settle well and achieve typically good results. The school has maintained the standards identified at its previous inspection and continues to provide a broad, ambitious curriculum across all year groups.
At a Glance
35.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
15 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 declined from 77% to 71% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 74% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 74% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
24.4
Avg class size
28.7
Infant (KS1)
28.5
KS2
9
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton
Before and after school care
St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Bolton
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton.
- Astronauts Afterschool Club560m away · Not yet graded
- Premier Education WAC - Gaskell Community Primary School1000m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton 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
- 28
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 12
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 28 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 24 slight.
12 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 6 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 5 in a vehicle or otherwise.
5 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 Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton
Will you get a place at St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Bolton, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton 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
99%
Near capacity
208 pupils
210 places
2 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: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(9)
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
30
SEN Support
13
EHC Plans
19.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
220
Total Pupils
107
Boys
113
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
13
Teachers
16.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,822
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,239
Per pupil
£1435k
Total funding
£118k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.2%
Overall absence
20.7%
Persistent absence
188
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
St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton
Questions parents ask about St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton
What are SATs results like at St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton?
Of the pupils at St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 71% reached the expected standard in reading and 74% did so in maths.
What is St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton's Ofsted rating?
St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in September 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton?
No fixed boundary. When St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton 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 Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton?
St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton?
Classes at St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton average 24.4 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton?
St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton has around 220 pupils on roll. 36% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton?
6.2% of sessions were missed at St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton in 2024/25. 20.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton?
Apply through Bolton's coordinated admissions process, naming St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton 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 Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton have a breakfast club or after-school club?
St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton: Astronauts Afterschool Club (560m away, registered, not yet graded) and Premier Education WAC - Gaskell Community Primary School (1km away, registered, not yet graded).
How many road collisions happen near St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 28 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 24 slight. 12 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 6 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 5 in a vehicle or otherwise. 5 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 Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton?
St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton is at Shepherd Cross Street, Halliwell, Bolton, Lancashire, BL1 3EJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)