School Chooser

St Gregory's RC Primary School, A Voluntary Academy

Primary · ages 4-11MixedAcademyRoman Catholic185 pupils Free breakfast clubBolton
School Chooser Score
79
Above
similar schools
Likely range 58 to 90
Out of 100. Better than 87% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, April 2024
Reached the expected level at 1182%England 63%
Attendance95.5%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families36%Far more than most schools
Places25 spare185 pupils, 210 places
Pupils per teacher21.0School workforce census

St Gregory's RC Primary School, A Voluntary Academy is a sponsored academy in Bolton for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 185 pupils and room for 210. About 36 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 79 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 87% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.

Presto Street, Farnworth, Bolton, BL4 8AJ01204 332658stgregorys.stoccat.org.ukMrs Catherine Callow headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 30 April 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Outstanding
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Outstanding
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

28 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1182%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level4%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score106.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score107.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 39%39%20172018: 48%48%20182019: 52%52%20192023: 81%81%20232024: 77%77%20242025: 82%82%2025
Since 2017: +43%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure2025202420232019†2018†2017†BoltonEngland
Pupils tested283131293128
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths82%77%81%52%48%39%65%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths4%10%6%3%3%0%10%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score106.0106.0106.0102.0102.0101.0105.3105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score107.0106.0105.0102.0101.099.0105.2104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score106.0107.0106.0105.0105.0104.0106.2105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard86%81%84%55%68%64%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard86%84%81%62%58%57%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)82%77%87%69%77%64%
Reading progressReading progress score+2.8-2.2-2.4-2.6
Maths progressMaths progress score+1.8-2.3-3.2-4.4
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged91%87%85%0%50%38%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged76%69%78%83%47%40%

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 St Gregory's RC Primary School, Farnworth, Bolton, the school this one replaced in December 2019. 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 3 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
91%76%
Gap 15 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
72%100%
Gap 28 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%4%
Gap 4 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 Roman Catholic school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

A few spare places191 pupils for 210 places, 2024/25
91% full

About 19 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.

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 roll185Census January 2026
Places21088% full
Pupils from low-income families36%36% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English37%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support18%34 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan5%10 pupils with a plan
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)33%£96,100 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls84 / 101
White British pupils43%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (20), emotional and mental health (7), Specific learning difficulty (6), Autistic spectrum disorder (3), Moderate learning difficulty (2), Other difficulty or disability (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll185191188190183176
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals36%35%37%41%38%35%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language37%27%23%22%20%18%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support15%12%14%15%20%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans4%3%3%2%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.5% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.5%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school10.2%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils2.12024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.8%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.5%4.9%7.2%5.9%3.4%3.6%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.7%3.8%5.3%4.6%2.6%2.3%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.8%1.2%1.9%1.3%0.8%1.2%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence10.2%14.5%24.4%18.0%8.7%6.5%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate2.12.15.33.81.7
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

† These attendance figures are for St Gregory's RC Primary School, Farnworth, Bolton, the school this one replaced in December 2019. 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.

Teachers8.8full-time equivalent, 9 people
Pupils per teacher21.0Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants10.5full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£50,326
Teachers who left in the year23%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher2.82024/25

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.

Spend per pupil£6,848England £7,128. Total £1.3m
Income per pupil£7,429England £7,587. Total £1.4m
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,702England £3,405
Money in reserve5%Not much put by: £68k, £354 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£111kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,848spent per pupil

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

Local crime rate0 per 1,000 people100% lower than the England average
Typical house price£205,000Bolton
Nearest bus stop210 mChurch Road, 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 John Church of England Primary School, FarnworthAcademy80 m154Good 202250Compare
Kearsley West Primary SchoolCouncil620 m236Not inspected59Compare
St Peter's CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England640 m411Report card 202552Compare
All Saints CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England850 m285Report card 202648Compare
Queensbridge Primary SchoolCouncil0.7 miles246Good 202328Compare
Prestolee Primary SchoolAcademy0.8 miles231Outstanding 202490Compare
St James CofE Primary School, FarnworthAcademy0.9 miles357No overall grade 202433Compare
The Ferns Primary AcademyAcademy0.9 miles445Report card 202679Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares St Gregory's RC Primary School, A Voluntary Academy 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.

Beats87%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 79 is 30 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 49 · highest 94100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 79 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 79% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 58 to 90. 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 years25%in line
+0.06
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 28 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 2.4 years old
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.14
DfE progress measure; 28 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
+0.01
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
+0.03
2024/25; 176 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well above
+0.13
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 28 pupils
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 St Gregory's RC Primary School, A Voluntary Academy a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. St Gregory's RC Primary School, A Voluntary Academy scores 79 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 87% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 58 to 90, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is St Gregory's RC Primary School, A Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated St Gregory's RC Primary School, A Voluntary Academy good at its last full inspection on 30 April 2024.

How good are St Gregory's RC Primary School, A Voluntary Academy's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 82% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 4% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does St Gregory's RC Primary School, A Voluntary Academy have?

185 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 210 places, so it is 88% full.

Is St Gregory's RC Primary School, A Voluntary Academy oversubscribed?

Probably not. 19 places were empty in 2024/25 (9% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at St Gregory's RC Primary School, A Voluntary Academy?

Pupils were in school 95.5% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 10% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

Does St Gregory's RC Primary School, A Voluntary Academy have a breakfast club?

Yes. It is on the government's free breakfast club programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school.

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

Contact and details

Address
Presto Street, Farnworth, Bolton, BL4 8AJ
Telephone
01204 332658
Website
www.stgregorys.stoccat.org.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Catherine Callow
Free breakfast club
Yes: on the government's programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school (listed since September 2026).
Type of school
Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic, Diocese of Salford
Multi-academy trust
St Teresa Of Calcutta Catholic Academy Trust (27 schools)
Local authority
Bolton
Ward
Kearsley
Constituency
Bolton South and Walkden
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 December 2019 (new provision)
URN
147631 · LAESTAB 3502026 · UKPRN 10084990
Formerly
St Gregory's RC Primary School, Farnworth, Bolton

Where these figures come from