School Chooser

Bolton Parish Church, Church of England Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedAcademyChurch of England252 pupilsNurseryBolton
School Chooser Score
35
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 16 to 63, so it could be “below”
Out of 100. Better than 26% of the 50 schools most like it.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, December 2021
Reached the expected level at 1170%England 63%
Attendance93.9%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families27%About the same as most schools in England
PlacesFull252 pupils, 210 places
Pupils per teacher23.4School workforce census

Bolton Parish Church, Church of England Primary School is a converter academy in Bolton for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 252 pupils, 42 more than it has places for. About 27 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, about the same as most schools in England. We give it 35 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 26% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2021.

Chadwick Street, Bolton, BL2 1JN01204 333433bolton-parish.bolton.sch.ukMrs Lisa Belfield headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 8 December 2021 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.

This inspection is more than 4 years old. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of one grade.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

30 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. These are the results of Bolton Parish Church CofE Primary School, the school this one replaced.

Reached the expected level at 1170%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level7%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score104.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score105.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 52%52%20172018: 39%39%20182019: 59%59%20192023: 65%65%20232024: 62%62%20242025: 70%70%2025
Since 2017: +18%
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure2025†2024†2023†2019†2018†2017†BoltonEngland
Pupils tested302931292827
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths70%62%65%59%39%52%65%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths7%7%10%3%4%7%10%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score104.0104.0104.0103.0101.0102.0105.3105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score105.0103.0104.0103.098.0103.0105.2104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score106.0106.0105.0103.0102.0105.0106.2105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard73%76%74%66%57%59%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard83%69%77%72%46%63%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)80%86%90%83%64%89%
Reading progressReading progress score-1.7+0.5-1.5-3.1
Maths progressMaths progress score-0.8-0.6-3.6-1.8
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged69%46%78%36%8%62%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged71%75%59%72%67%43%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

† These results are for Bolton Parish Church CofE Primary School, the school this one replaced in January 2025. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 2 of the 4 gaps are smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
69%71%
Gap 2 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
64%75%
Gap 11 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
71%70%
Gap 1 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%7%
Gap 7 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Full213 pupils for 210 places, 2024/25
101% full

The school is full, with 3 more pupils than it has places for. More families apply than can get in, so things like how close you live and whether an older brother or sister is already here decide who gets a place.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Bolton council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll252Census January 2026
Places210120% full
Pupils from low-income families24%27% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English69%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support10%24 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan6%16 pupils with a plan
Average class size31.58 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils63%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)28%£91,450 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls126 / 126
White British pupils14%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 29.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 31.8 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (23), Moderate learning difficulty (6), Autistic spectrum disorder (5), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (2), Physical disability (1), emotional and mental health (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census20262025
Pupils on roll252247
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals24%26%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language69%66%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support17%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans5%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.9% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance93.9%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school16.9%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils3.62024/25, 1 permanent exclusion
Missed without permission1.8%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/24†2022/23†2021/22†2020/21†2018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.2%5.8%7.1%5.7%5.3%5.5%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.3%4.1%5.0%4.5%3.4%2.9%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.8%1.7%2.2%1.2%2.0%2.6%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence16.9%16.4%24.9%15.5%12.9%16.6%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate3.6
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions1

† These attendance figures are for Bolton Parish Church CofE Primary School, the school this one replaced in January 2025. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers10.2full-time equivalent, 11 people
Pupils per teacher23.4Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants11.8full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£52,291
Vacancies0

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Money in reserve-3%In the red: -£32k, -£137 per pupil
Money in against money out+£13kit took in more than it spent this year

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m212 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate0 per 1,000 people100% lower than the England average
Typical house price£205,000Bolton
Nearest bus stop100 mRydley Street, 21 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
St Stephen and All Martyrs' CofE School, Lever BridgeChurch of England780 m193Good 202357Compare
Moorgate Primary SchoolCouncil0.7 miles325Outstanding 202386Compare
St Peter and St Paul RC Primary School a Voluntary AcademyAcademy0.8 miles225Good 2020Compare
Tonge Moor Primary AcademyAcademy0.8 miles472Good 202322Compare
Clarendon Primary SchoolCouncil1.0 miles454Not inspected63Compare
Bishop Bridgeman CofE Primary SchoolAcademy1.0 miles484Good 202235Compare
Ss Simon & Jude CofE Primary School, BoltonAcademy1.0 miles572Good 202450Compare
Leverhulme Community Primary SchoolCouncil1.1 miles438Report card 20264Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Bolton Parish Church, Church of England Primary School with the 47 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 47 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats26%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 35 is 23 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 6 · middle 58 · highest 98100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 47 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Bolton Parish Church, Church of England Primary School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
St Paul's CofE Primary School, Astley BridgeAcademy1.7 miles251No overall grade 202494Compare
St Michael With St John CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England12.5 miles262Good 202251Compare
Cringle Brook Primary SchoolFree school12.9 miles208Outstanding 202487Compare
St Alban's Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic14.7 miles192Good 202350Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 35 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 35% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 16 to 63. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years0%no data
Ofsted inspection16% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.03
Ofsted grade, 4.8 years old
Progress pupils make0%no data
Direction of travel over five years0%no data
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.21
2024/25; 201 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils0%no data
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Bolton Parish Church, Church of England Primary School a good school?

It is about average. Bolton Parish Church, Church of England Primary School scores 35 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 26% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 16 to 63, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Bolton Parish Church, Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Bolton Parish Church, Church of England Primary School good at its last full inspection on 8 December 2021. That was more than four years ago. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of a single grade.

How good are Bolton Parish Church, Church of England Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 70% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 7% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Bolton Parish Church, Church of England Primary School have?

252 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 210 places, so it is 120% full.

Is Bolton Parish Church, Church of England Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably. The school was full in 2024/25, with 3 more pupils than places. How close you live, and the school's other admissions rules, decide who gets in.

What is attendance like at Bolton Parish Church, Church of England Primary School?

Pupils were in school 93.9% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 17% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Bolton Parish Church, Church of England Primary School?

The average class had 31.5 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 63% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Chadwick Street, Bolton, BL2 1JN
Telephone
01204 333433
Website
www.bolton-parish.bolton.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Lisa Belfield
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Manchester
Multi-academy trust
Archbishop Temple Church of England Multi Academy Trust (5 schools)
Local authority
Bolton
Ward
Tonge with the Haulgh
Constituency
Bolton North East
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 January 2025 (academy converter)
URN
151025 · LAESTAB 3503336 · UKPRN 10095728
Formerly
Bolton Parish Church CofE Primary School

Where these figures come from