St Thomas of Canterbury RC School, Bolton
St Thomas of Canterbury RC School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Bolton. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 51st-highest of the 89 schools in Bolton with published results, and 7,353rd of 14,452 across England. It was 99% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
- 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 Thomas of Canterbury RC School in detail
Results
In 2025, 67% of Year 6 pupils at St Thomas of Canterbury RC School reached the expected standard in reading and 87% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 78% in Bolton and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 67% in reading and 78% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at St Thomas of Canterbury RC School
For September 2026 entry, 36 families put St Thomas of Canterbury RC School as their first choice and 92 named it as one of their preferences, for 47 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 Thomas of Canterbury RC School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Thomas of Canterbury RC School are Devonshire Road Primary School (0.2 miles, Good, 71% reading, 80% maths); Church Road Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 84% reading, 76% maths); Markland Hill Primary School (0.6 miles, Outstanding, 89% reading, 84% maths); and Oxford Grove Primary School (0.7 miles, Outstanding, 85% reading, 83% maths).
St Thomas of Canterbury RC School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
Devonshire Road Primary SchoolChurch Road Primary SchoolMarkland Hill Primary SchoolOxford Grove Primary School
Who goes there
In 2026, 89 pupils (21.7%) received SEN support and 14 (3.4%) 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.
Staffing
St Thomas of Canterbury RC School had 17 teachers in 2026, one for every 24 pupils: fewer teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Lostock Rail Station, about 1.5 miles away in a straight line.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Albert Road West (near), 110 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
St Thomas of Canterbury RC School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
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; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from July 2014, 12 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 October 2023 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school creates a genuinely welcoming and caring environment where children thrive. Teachers have high expectations, check learning carefully, and quickly address any misconceptions. Pupils develop strong knowledge across subjects while enjoying a wide variety of enrichment experiences, from early years farm visits to Year 6 residential trips.
Key Strengths
- Warm, positive relationships and happy, thriving school culture where pupils are eager to help each other
- Well-designed curriculum that helps pupils build knowledge logically across subjects
- Strong reading programme with regular staff training, though some reading books need better matching to phonics knowledge
- Excellent behaviour management with pupils valuing rewards and expectations
- Wide range of enrichment activities including trips, visiting speakers, and opportunities to develop talents
Areas for Improvement
- Some reading practice books do not match the sounds pupils have learned, which slows reading fluency development for some pupils, particularly those who find reading difficult
- School should ensure reading books are closely matched to pupils' phonics knowledge for faster progress
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with school creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Learning additional languages, music lessons, sports clubs and teams, reading ambassadors, sport ambassadors, eco-ambassadors, school worship leadership, charitable activities, farm visits, visiting speakers, Year 6 residential trip
St Thomas of Canterbury RC School is a good primary school with warm relationships, high staff expectations, and strong pupil behaviour. The school provides a broad curriculum and supports all learners well, including those with special educational needs.
At a Glance
17.3%
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 remained stable at around 67% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 78% to 87% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 67% to 72% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.3
Avg class size
28.7
Infant (KS1)
29.8
KS2
14
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 Thomas of Canterbury RC School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Thomas of Canterbury RC School.
- The Family Club810m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Thomas of Canterbury RC School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Thomas of Canterbury RC 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
- 10
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 8 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt.
2 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 Thomas of Canterbury RC School
Will you get a place at St Thomas of Canterbury RC School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Thomas of Canterbury RC School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Thomas of Canterbury RC School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Thomas of Canterbury RC 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 Thomas of Canterbury RC 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
99%
Near capacity
414 pupils
420 places
6 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
89
SEN Support
14
EHC Plans
25.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
410
Total Pupils
202
Boys
208
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
17
Teachers
24.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,108
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,050
Per pupil
£2300k
Total funding
£92k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.5%
Overall absence
10.3%
Persistent absence
370
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 Thomas of Canterbury RC School
Questions parents ask about St Thomas of Canterbury RC School
What are SATs results like at St Thomas of Canterbury RC School?
Of the pupils at St Thomas of Canterbury RC School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 67% reached the expected standard in reading and 87% did so in maths.
What is St Thomas of Canterbury RC School's Ofsted rating?
St Thomas of Canterbury RC School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in July 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Thomas of Canterbury RC School?
No fixed boundary. When St Thomas of Canterbury RC 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 Thomas of Canterbury RC School?
St Thomas of Canterbury RC School was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at St Thomas of Canterbury RC School?
Classes at St Thomas of Canterbury RC School average 29.3 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to St Thomas of Canterbury RC School?
St Thomas of Canterbury RC School has around 410 pupils on roll. 17% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Thomas of Canterbury RC School?
4.5% of sessions were missed at St Thomas of Canterbury RC School in 2024/25. 10.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Thomas of Canterbury RC School?
Apply through Bolton's coordinated admissions process, naming St Thomas of Canterbury RC 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.
Does St Thomas of Canterbury RC School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of St Thomas of Canterbury RC School: The Family Club (810m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near St Thomas of Canterbury RC School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 8 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt. 2 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 Thomas of Canterbury RC School?
St Thomas of Canterbury RC School is at Eastbourne Grove, Heaton, Bolton, Lancashire, BL1 5LH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)