St Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School, Bolton
St Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Bolton, part of Forward As One Church of England Multi Academy Trust. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2011. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2022 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 72nd-highest of the 89 schools in Bolton with published results, and 10,716th of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 102% of capacity.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2011)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
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 Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 69% of Year 6 pupils at St Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 69% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 78% in Bolton and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 94% in reading and 91% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 32 families put St Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School as their first choice and 60 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 3 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at St Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School are Johnson Fold Community Primary School (0.7 miles); Church Road Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 84% reading, 76% maths); St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton (0.9 miles, Good, 71% reading, 74% maths); and Oxford Grove Primary School (1 mile, Outstanding, 85% reading, 83% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than St Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School.
Johnson Fold Community Primary SchoolChurch Road Primary SchoolSt Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, BoltonOxford Grove Primary School
The trust
St Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School is one of 17 schools run by Forward As One Church of England Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 69% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
All 17 schools in Forward As One Church of England Multi Academy Trust
Who goes there
8.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 7.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 28 pupils (13%) received SEN support and 5 (2.3%) 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 Hall i' th' Wood Rail Station, about 2 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Smithills Hall (outside), 140 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School issued 2 suspensions, 0.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School are Smithills School (0.3 miles) and Thornleigh Salesian College (0.7 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; 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 2011, 15 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
Ofsted rated this school Good at its October 2011 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
8.4%
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 94% to 69% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 91% to 69% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 72% to 63% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
30.7
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
31.3
KS2
7
Total classes
3 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
You apply to the council where you live. St Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School 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
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 1 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 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 Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School
Will you get a place at St Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Bolton, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School for 2019 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
102%
Over capacity
214 pupils
210 places
4 pupils over capacity 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)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
28
SEN Support
5
EHC Plans
15.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
215
Total Pupils
110
Boys
105
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
19.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,859
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,174
Per pupil
£1214k
Total funding
£24k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.0%
Overall absence
7.0%
Persistent absence
187
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 Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School
Questions parents ask about St Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School
What are SATs results like at St Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School?
Of the pupils at St Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 69% reached the expected standard in reading and 69% did so in maths.
What is St Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2022, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2011, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School 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 Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School?
St Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School was full in 2025, at 102% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at St Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School?
Classes at St Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School average 30.7 pupils (2025/26). 3 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to St Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School?
St Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School has around 215 pupils on roll. 8% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School?
4% of sessions were missed at St Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School in 2024/25. 7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School?
Apply through Bolton's coordinated admissions process, naming St Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School 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.
How many road collisions happen near St Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 1 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 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 Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School?
St Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School is at Limefield Road, Smithills, Bolton, Lancashire, BL1 6LA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)