St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Little Lever, Bolton
St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Little Lever is a primary school for pupils aged 5 to 11 in Bolton. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 82nd-highest of the 89 schools in Bolton with published results, and 12,330th of 14,452 across England. It was 95% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2012)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 75 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Bolton (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 1 Nov 2026
St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Little Lever in detail
Results
In 2025, 58% of Year 6 pupils at St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Little Lever reached the expected standard in reading and 68% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 78% in Bolton and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 79% in reading and 67% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Little Lever
For September 2026 entry, 4 families put St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Little Lever as their first choice and 28 named it as one of their preferences, for 12 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 Matthew's CofE Primary School, Little Lever
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Little Lever are St Teresa's RC Primary School a Voluntary Academy (0.1 miles); Mytham Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 71% reading, 67% maths); Bowness Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 100% reading, 100% maths); and Masefield Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 95% reading, 89% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Little Lever.
St Teresa's RC Primary School a Voluntary AcademyMytham Primary SchoolBowness Primary SchoolMasefield Primary School
Who goes there
5.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (84%), Black (6%) and Mixed (5%).
In 2026, 22 pupils (11.2%) received SEN support and 5 (2.6%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Farnworth Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Redcar Road (near), 130 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Little Lever 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 Matthew's CofE Primary School, Little Lever issued 1 suspension, 0.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
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 · 4 years agoThis judgement is from October 2012, 14 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2023 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St Matthew's is a warm, welcoming school where children thrive emotionally and academically. Teachers deliver clear, high-quality lessons with strong subject knowledge, and reading is taught exceptionally well from the start of Reception. The school excels at supporting children's wellbeing and has particularly strong systems for helping pupils with additional needs.
Key Strengths
- Strong teaching of reading with well-trained staff and phonics introduced from Reception - pupils read with increasing confidence and fluency
- Excellent pastoral support and focus on pupils' social, emotional and mental health with clear routines that maintain a calm atmosphere
- Effective support for pupils with SEND, working well with external agencies and families to meet additional needs
- Well-designed curriculum in most subjects that helps pupils build knowledge in a logical order
- Wide range of enrichment experiences and clubs that develop pupils' talents
Areas for Improvement
- In a small number of subjects, curriculum knowledge is not clearly defined, which prevents pupils from learning essential building blocks needed for future progress
- Leaders should ensure these subjects have carefully outlined knowledge that pupils need to learn and remember
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective with a culture of vigilance, well-trained staff who know how to spot and report concerns, detailed records, and good partnership working with external agencies.
Extracurricular Activities
Arts and crafts clubs, hockey, netball, musical instrument lessons (drums), music concerts, school choir performances at local and regional events, school council, art council, librarian roles, museum visits, library visits
St Matthew's CofE Primary School is a caring and nurturing good school where pupils are happy, well-behaved, and achieve well across a broad curriculum. Leaders and staff have high aspirations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs.
At a Glance
19.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 79% to 58% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 68% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 55% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.0
Avg class size
26.7
Infant (KS1)
29.0
KS2
7
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Little Lever
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Little Lever.
- Mytham Road Out Of School Club470m away · Not yet graded
- The Club at Bowness560m away · Not yet graded
Nurseries
The nearest nurseries and pre-schools to St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Little Lever, with their latest published grades:
- Kids Planet Little Lever - Day nursery, 0.2 milesOfsted, 21 July 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Ashbourne Day Nurseries at Little Lever - Day nursery, 0.2 milesOfsted, 14 August 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Kids Planet Little Lever Baby House - Day nursery, 0.3 milesOfsted report card, 17 March 2026: Strong standard in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met
- Kids Wreck - Day nursery, 0.3 milesOfsted, 1 April 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Little Ozzies Limited - Day nursery, 1.0 milesOfsted, 8 July 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Little Lever from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Little Lever 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
- 20
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 11
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 20 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 15 slight.
11 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 8 in a vehicle or otherwise.
6 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 are DfT estimates (severity adjustment). Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Little Lever
Will you get a place at St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Little Lever?
For 2026 entry it had 4 first choices for 12 places. The report sets your home postcode against these figures.
£9.99 once (inc. VAT; £19.99 for up to three schools), or Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time. What's in the report
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
95%
Near capacity
200 pupils
210 places
10 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
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
Future places in the local planning area
DfE estimates the Little Lever Primary planning area (Bolton) will have 117 spare primary places in 2027/28. In the year groups that are short, it estimates 3 additional places needed.
Source: Department for Education, School capacity: Academic year 2024/25 (published 19 March 2026), estimates of future school place demand by planning area. Council pupil forecasts against reported places, counting places councils and DfE plan to add or remove; rounded to whole places. Explore Education Statistics
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
22
SEN Support
5
EHC Plans
13.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
196
Total Pupils
94
Boys
102
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
21.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,444
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,387
Per pupil
£1175k
Total funding
£50k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.2%
Overall absence
8.8%
Persistent absence
182
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 Matthew's CofE Primary School, Little Lever
Questions parents ask about St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Little Lever
What are SATs results like at St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Little Lever?
Of the pupils at St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Little Lever who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 58% reached the expected standard in reading and 68% did so in maths.
What is St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Little Lever's Ofsted rating?
St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Little Lever's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2023, was ungraded. At its last graded inspection, in October 2012, it was rated Good.
Is it hard to get a place at St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Little Lever?
St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Little Lever was close to full in 2025, at 95% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Little Lever?
Classes at St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Little Lever average 28 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils.
How many pupils go to St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Little Lever?
St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Little Lever has around 196 pupils on roll. 20% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Little Lever?
4.2% of sessions were missed at St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Little Lever in 2024/25. 8.8% of pupils were persistently absent.
Does St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Little Lever have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Little Lever: Mytham Road Out Of School Club (470m away, registered, not yet graded) and The Club at Bowness (560m away, registered, not yet graded).
How many road collisions happen near St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Little Lever?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 20 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 15 slight. 11 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 8 in a vehicle or otherwise. 6 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 Matthew's CofE Primary School, Little Lever?
St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Little Lever is at Norris Street, Little Lever, Bolton, Lancashire, BL3 1BQ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)