The Gates Primary School, Bolton
The Gates Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Bolton. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2018. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in September 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 7th-highest of the 89 schools in Bolton with published results, and 814th of 14,452 across England. It was 86% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2018)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- 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
The Gates Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 93% of Year 6 pupils at The Gates Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 93% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 78% in Bolton and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 80% in reading and 80% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at The Gates Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 32 families put The Gates Primary School as their first choice and 78 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 5 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at The Gates Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to The Gates Primary School are Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Primary School (0.3 miles, Outstanding, 89% reading, 84% maths); St Bartholomew's CofE Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 78% reading, 81% maths); St Thomas CofE Primary School (0.9 miles, Good, 81% reading, 84% maths); and Woodland Primary Academy (1 mile).
The Gates Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 3 of them.
Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Primary SchoolSt Bartholomew's CofE Primary SchoolSt Thomas CofE Primary SchoolWoodland Primary Academy
Who goes there
7.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (76%), Asian (8%) and Mixed (5%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Westhoughton Rail Station, about 220 metres away (roughly a 3-minute walk).
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is James Street (near), 190 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
The Gates Primary 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; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from June 2018, 8 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 June 2018 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
18.6%
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 80% to 93% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 80% to 93% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 75% to 84% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
32.2
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
34.0
KS2
9
Total classes
6 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with The Gates Primary School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Gates Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Gates 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
- 7
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 6 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
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 The Gates Primary School
Will you get a place at The Gates Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against The Gates Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for The Gates Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to The Gates 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 The Gates 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
86%
Available places
270 pupils
315 places
45 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: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
44
SEN Support
11
EHC Plans
19.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
290
Total Pupils
142
Boys
148
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
16
Teachers
18.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,112
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,262
Per pupil
£1555k
Total funding
£80k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.4%
Overall absence
11.5%
Persistent absence
253
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
The Gates Primary School
Questions parents ask about The Gates Primary School
What are SATs results like at The Gates Primary School?
Of the pupils at The Gates Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 93% reached the expected standard in reading and 93% did so in maths.
What is The Gates Primary School's Ofsted rating?
The Gates Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in September 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2018, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for The Gates Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When The Gates 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 The Gates Primary School?
The Gates Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 86% of its 315 places.
How big are the classes at The Gates Primary School?
Classes at The Gates Primary School average 32.2 pupils (2025/26). 6 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to The Gates Primary School?
The Gates Primary School has around 290 pupils on roll. 19% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at The Gates Primary School?
4.4% of sessions were missed at The Gates Primary School in 2024/25. 11.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Gates Primary School?
Apply through Bolton's coordinated admissions process, naming The Gates 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 The Gates Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 6 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 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 The Gates Primary School?
The Gates Primary School is at Bristle Hall Way, Westhoughton, Bolton, Lancashire, BL5 3QA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)