St Stephen's CofE Primary School, Bolton
St Stephen's CofE Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Bolton. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 77th-highest of the 89 schools in Bolton with published results, and 11,486th of 14,452 across England. It was 90% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- 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 Stephen's CofE Primary School in detail
St Stephen's CofE Primary School in its own words
Coming up: an open day on Friday 11 December 2026 at 9.15am. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Bolton
Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 60% of Year 6 pupils at St Stephen's CofE Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 73% 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 Stephen's CofE Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 15 families put St Stephen's CofE Primary School as their first choice and 39 named it as one of their preferences, for 20 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 Stephen's CofE Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Stephen's CofE Primary School are Spindle Point Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 81% reading, 84% maths); Kearsley West Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 90% reading, 87% maths); St Saviour CofE Primary School, Ringley (0.7 miles, Good, 83% reading, 73% maths); and Prestolee Primary School (0.7 miles, Outstanding, 87% reading, 87% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than St Stephen's CofE Primary School.
Spindle Point Primary SchoolKearsley West Primary SchoolSt Saviour CofE Primary School, RingleyPrestolee Primary School
Who goes there
12% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (78%), Mixed (6%) and Black (6%).
In 2026, 20 pupils (10.9%) received SEN support and 4 (2.2%) 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 Kearsley Rail Station, about 650 metres away (roughly a 8-minute walk).
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Blair Street (cnr), 120 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Stephen's CofE Primary School issued 8 suspensions, 4.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Stephen's CofE Primary School are Kearsley Academy (0.6 miles) and St Ambrose Barlow Roman Catholic High School (1.4 miles).
Kearsley AcademySt Ambrose Barlow Roman Catholic 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); 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
From Ofsted's June 2023 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St Stephen's creates a welcoming, happy environment where children feel safe and supported. The school has made reading a priority with excellent phonics teaching and a wealth of quality books, helping most pupils become fluent readers. Teachers provide effective support for pupils with additional needs, adapting teaching so all children can access the full curriculum and achieve well.
Key Strengths
- Strong emphasis on reading with high-quality texts and effective phonics teaching - most pupils are becoming fluent readers
- Ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum that engages pupils from early years through Year 6
- Effective support for pupils with SEND who learn the same curriculum as their peers
- Good behaviour and respectful attitudes throughout the school
- Effective safeguarding systems and staff training
Areas for Improvement
- In some subjects, leaders have not fully clarified the key concepts pupils need to learn and revisit over time
- Assessment approaches in a few subjects do not effectively check whether pupils have learned essential knowledge
- Inconsistencies in how some curriculums are delivered due to staff needing further training and support
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with staff receiving appropriate training, remaining vigilant to signs of harm, and pupils taught how to keep themselves safe including online.
Extracurricular Activities
Eco Team, Eco Garden, Mountaineers Club, residential visits, theatre visits, visits to faith centres
St Stephen's C of E Primary School is a caring school where pupils are happy and feel safe. The school has good overall effectiveness with strong leadership, ambitious curriculum design, and effective phonics teaching.
At a Glance
27.3%
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 77% to 60% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 77% to 73% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 73% to 77% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.1
Avg class size
22.7
Infant (KS1)
28.8
KS2
7
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with St Stephen's CofE Primary School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Stephen's CofE Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Stephen's CofE 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)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
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 Stephen's CofE Primary School
Will you get a place at St Stephen's CofE Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Stephen's CofE Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Stephen's CofE Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Stephen's CofE 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 Stephen's CofE Primary School 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
90%
Near capacity
189 pupils
210 places
21 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(8)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
20
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
13.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
183
Total Pupils
95
Boys
88
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
18.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,582
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,665
Per pupil
£1196k
Total funding
£71k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.2%
Overall absence
11.8%
Persistent absence
169
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 Stephen's CofE Primary School
Questions parents ask about St Stephen's CofE Primary School
What are SATs results like at St Stephen's CofE Primary School?
Of the pupils at St Stephen's CofE Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 60% reached the expected standard in reading and 73% did so in maths.
What is St Stephen's CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St Stephen's CofE Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2023.
What is the catchment area for St Stephen's CofE Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St Stephen's CofE 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 Stephen's CofE Primary School?
St Stephen's CofE Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 90% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at St Stephen's CofE Primary School?
Classes at St Stephen's CofE Primary School average 26.1 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Stephen's CofE Primary School?
St Stephen's CofE Primary School has around 183 pupils on roll. 27% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Stephen's CofE Primary School?
5.2% of sessions were missed at St Stephen's CofE Primary School in 2024/25. 11.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Stephen's CofE Primary School?
Apply through Bolton's coordinated admissions process, naming St Stephen's CofE 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 Stephen's CofE Primary School?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in Bolton is 14 (the median across 148 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Stephen's CofE Primary School?
St Stephen's CofE Primary School is at Bent Spur Road, Kearsley, Bolton, Lancashire, BL4 8PB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)