St Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever, Bolton
St Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Bolton. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 68th-highest of the 89 schools in Bolton with published results, and 10,218th of 14,452 across England. It was 98% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- 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 Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever in detail
Results
In 2025, 71% of Year 6 pupils at St Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever reached the expected standard in reading and 70% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 78% in Bolton and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 60% in reading and 65% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at St Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever
For September 2026 entry, 55 families put St Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever as their first choice and 79 named it as one of their preferences, for 59 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 Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever are Ss Simon & Jude CofE Primary School, Bolton (0.6 miles, Good, 70% reading, 85% maths); All Saints CofE Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 76% reading, 76% maths); The Ferns Primary Academy (0.8 miles, Good, 85% reading, 85% maths); and St Stephen and All Martyrs' CofE School, Lever Bridge (0.8 miles, Good, 81% reading, 74% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than St Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever.
Ss Simon & Jude CofE Primary School, BoltonAll Saints CofE Primary SchoolThe Ferns Primary AcademySt Stephen and All Martyrs' CofE School, Lever Bridge
Who goes there
81.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (74%) and Black (9%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Moses Gate Rail Station, about 710 metres away (roughly a 9-minute walk).
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Green Lane (opposite), 110 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever issued 4 suspensions, 0.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever are Mount St Joseph RC High School a Voluntary Academy (0.7 miles), Harper Green School (0.7 miles), Little Lever School (1 mile) and St James's Church of England High School (1.1 miles).
Mount St Joseph RC High School a Voluntary AcademyHarper Green SchoolLittle Lever SchoolSt James's Church of England 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from June 2015, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good and may be improving; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils, including children in the early years, enjoy coming to this friendly and welcoming school. They are taught the importance of kindness and respect and demonstrate these values every day.
In lessons, pupils work hard as they want to do well. They enjoy learning new things. This includes learning about the many different cultures represented in the school. Pupils happily learn about the differences between people. They are encouraged to ask questions and to be curious about the world.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
All pupils in the school study the same broad and ambitious curriculum. The curriculums for each subject are designed around the carefully identified knowledge that pupils need to learn. This means that teachers can easily check what progress pupils are making through the curriculum. If pupils have gaps in their knowledge, they are helped to catch up quickly with the class. The school ensures that pupils have many chances to revisit concepts that they have learned. Pupils build on their prior learning in a logical and well-structured way. This is helping pupils to remember more and to do more over time.
Many pupils at the school have English as an additional language. The school has recognised the importance of ensuring that all pupils have the vocabulary that they need to help them to learn well. For example, lessons begin by teaching pupils appropriate subject-specific vocabulary. This helps pupils to use these words with precision and confidence in their work. This approach to helping pupils to develop their communication skills begins in early years in the Nursery and Reception classes.
From Ofsted's July 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its June 2015 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
24.6%
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 improved from 60% to 71% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 65% to 70% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 75% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
25.6
Avg class size
29.8
Infant (KS1)
28.3
KS2
14
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever
Before and after school care
St Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever 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
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Michael's CofE Primary School, Great 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
- 13
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 11 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle.
1 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 Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever
Will you get a place at St Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Bolton, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever 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
98%
Near capacity
411 pupils
420 places
9 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(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
102
SEN Support
19
EHC Plans
24.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
487
Total Pupils
248
Boys
239
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
24
Teachers
20.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,080
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,670
Per pupil
£2577k
Total funding
£145k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.6%
Overall absence
16.9%
Persistent absence
366
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 Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever
Questions parents ask about St Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever
What are SATs results like at St Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever?
Of the pupils at St Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 71% reached the expected standard in reading and 70% did so in maths.
What is St Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever's Ofsted rating?
St Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2015, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever?
No fixed boundary. When St Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever 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 Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever?
St Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever was close to full in 2025, at 98% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at St Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever?
Classes at St Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever average 25.6 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever?
St Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever has around 487 pupils on roll. 25% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever?
5.6% of sessions were missed at St Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever in 2024/25. 16.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever?
Apply through Bolton's coordinated admissions process, naming St Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever 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 Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever have a breakfast club or after-school club?
St Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever 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.
How many road collisions happen near St Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 11 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle. 1 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 Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever?
St Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever is at Green Lane, Bolton, Lancashire, BL3 2PL.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)