The Orchards Nursery School, Bolton
The Orchards Nursery School is a nursery school for pupils aged 2 to 4 in Bolton. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Orchards Nursery School in detail
Who goes there
1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 29.9% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (51%), Asian (20%) and Black (11%).
In 2026, 30 pupils (30.9%) received SEN support and 0 (0%) had an education, health and care plan. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Moses Gate Rail Station, about 1.4 miles away in a straight line.
19 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Cherry Tree Primary School (outside), 90 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The Orchards Nursery School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from December 2013, 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 March 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The Orchards Nursery School creates a warm, welcoming environment where children thrive and enjoy learning. Staff are particularly skilled at supporting children's language development and helping all children, including those with special needs, to become independent and confident learners. The school has excellent systems to support children with additional needs, working closely with parents and other professionals to ensure every child gets the help they need.
Key Strengths
- Children behave well and staff effectively teach them to care for one another and respect adults
- Strong support for children with SEND through effective identification, tailored activities, and partnership with parents and professionals
- Staff skilled in developing children's language, communication and social interaction skills
- Broad and interesting curriculum with children well prepared for their next steps
- Children happy and engaged in exciting learning activities
Areas for Improvement
- In some curriculum areas, the school has not identified important knowledge in enough detail, making it unclear what staff should prioritise when designing activities
- In a small number of areas, staff do not consistently check children's understanding of key knowledge, meaning some children do not deepen their learning as well as they could
- Need to ensure staff identify and address gaps in key knowledge to better prepare children for their next stage of education
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Visits from firefighters and police officers, pantomime visits, themed days, caring for chicks
The Orchards Nursery School is a good school where children make a positive start to their education in a welcoming environment. The school is ambitious for all children, including those with special educational needs, and helps them build independence and develop important skills.
At a Glance
1.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 2 nearby nursery schools
Keep up with The Orchards Nursery School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Orchards Nursery School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Orchards Nursery 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
- 12
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 8 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot.
5 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
Capacity & Demand
Area Demand Pressure - Bolton
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Bolton
Across Bolton council
Places available
4,385
Applications
3,868
Got 1st preference
87.1%
Got preferred school
96.8%
All secondary applications across Bolton council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
30
SEN Support
0
EHC Plans
30.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
97
Total Pupils
61
Boys
36
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
2
Teachers
48.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
2026 data
Questions parents ask about The Orchards Nursery School
What is The Orchards Nursery School's Ofsted rating?
The Orchards Nursery School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for The Orchards Nursery School?
No fixed boundary. When The Orchards Nursery School is oversubscribed, Bolton allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to The Orchards Nursery School?
The Orchards Nursery School has around 97 pupils on roll. 1% are eligible for free school meals.
How do I apply to The Orchards Nursery School?
Apply through Bolton's coordinated admissions process, naming The Orchards Nursery School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near The Orchards Nursery School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 8 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot. 5 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 Orchards Nursery School?
The Orchards Nursery School is at Highfield Road, Bolton, BL4 0NS.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)