School Chooser

St Peter and St Paul RC Primary School a Voluntary Academy

Primary · ages 3-11MixedAcademyRoman Catholic225 pupilsNurseryBolton
School Chooser ScoreNot scoredThere isn't enough published data yet. To get a score, a school needs results or an inspection plus at least one other figure.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, February 2020
Reached the expected level at 1174%England 63%
Attendance96.2%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families30%A bit more than most schools
PlacesFull225 pupils, 210 places
Pupils per teacher20.9School workforce census

St Peter and St Paul RC Primary School a Voluntary Academy is a converter academy in Bolton for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 225 pupils, 15 more than it has places for. About 30 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit more than at most schools. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2020.

Pilkington Street, Bolton, BL3 6HP01204 333030sspp.stoccat.org.ukMrs Louise Bates headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 5 February 2020 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 6 years old. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of one grade.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

31 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. These are the results of St Peter and St Paul RC Primary School, the school this one replaced.

Reached the expected level at 1174%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level6%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score105.0
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: 70%70%20172018: 67%67%20182019: 62%62%20192023: 73%73%20232024: 70%70%20242025: 74%74%2025
Since 2017: +4%
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure2025†2024†2023†2019†2018†2017†BoltonEngland
Pupils tested313030293030
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths74%70%73%62%67%70%65%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths6%20%7%21%3%17%10%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0107.0106.0103.0102.0105.0105.3105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score105.0106.0107.0108.0103.0107.0105.2104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score107.0110.0109.0110.0107.0110.0106.2105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard84%83%90%62%70%73%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard87%80%93%79%80%87%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)81%80%83%83%80%77%
Reading progressReading progress score+3.6+3.4+1.5+3.9
Maths progressMaths progress score+4.5+6.9+4.8+5.6
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged77%80%80%55%71%59%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged72%60%70%67%62%85%

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 Peter and St Paul RC Primary School, the school this one replaced in April 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
77%72%
Gap 5 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
86%65%
Gap 21 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
68%74%
Gap 6 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
8%6%
Gap 2 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.

Nearly full204 pupils for 210 places, 2024/25
97% full

Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference.

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 the school teaches, from the latest school census.

Pupils on roll225Census January 2026
Places210107% full
Pupils from low-income families27%30% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English56%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support17%38 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan5%12 pupils with a plan
Average class size26.37 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)23%£74,400 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls114 / 111
White British pupils24%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 28.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 29.0 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (18), emotional and mental health (16), Specific learning difficulty (5), Moderate learning difficulty (4), Autistic spectrum disorder (3), Other difficulty or disability (2).

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.2% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.2%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school8.8%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Missed without permission1.0%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/25†2023/24†2022/23†2021/22†2020/21†2018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence3.8%4.5%4.7%5.1%2.8%3.2%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.8%3.3%3.4%3.8%2.2%2.2%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.0%1.2%1.4%1.3%0.6%1.0%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence8.8%11.7%10.0%16.8%3.4%4.3%12.8%

† These attendance figures are for St Peter and St Paul RC Primary School, the school this one replaced in April 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, 12 people
Pupils per teacher20.9Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants9.8full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£55,522
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-2%In the red: -£13k, -£61 per pupil
Money in against money out+£54kit 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

Local crime rate0 per 1,000 people100% lower than the England average
Typical house price£205,000Bolton
Nearest bus stop200 mUniversity of Bolton, 19 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
Clarendon Primary SchoolCouncil490 m454Not inspected63Compare
Bishop Bridgeman CofE Primary SchoolAcademy730 m484Good 202235Compare
Pikes Lane Primary SchoolCouncil790 m512No overall grade 202515Compare
Sunning Hill Primary SchoolCouncil860 m526No overall grade 202491Compare
Gilnow Primary SchoolCouncil0.7 miles221Good 202261Compare
The Olive Tree Primary School BoltonFree school0.7 miles418Good 202072Compare
St William of York Roman Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic0.7 miles233No overall grade 202594Compare
Ss Simon & Jude CofE Primary School, BoltonAcademy0.8 miles572Good 202450Compare

Questions parents ask

Is St Peter and St Paul RC Primary School a Voluntary Academy a good school?

St Peter and St Paul RC Primary School a Voluntary Academy doesn't have a score yet. Ofsted rated it good at its last inspection in February 2020.

What is St Peter and St Paul RC Primary School a Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated St Peter and St Paul RC Primary School a Voluntary Academy good at its last full inspection on 5 February 2020. 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 St Peter and St Paul RC Primary School a Voluntary Academy's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 74% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 6% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does St Peter and St Paul RC Primary School a Voluntary Academy have?

225 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 210 places, so it is 107% full.

Is St Peter and St Paul RC Primary School a Voluntary Academy oversubscribed?

Often. Fewer than one place in twenty was empty in 2024/25, so popular year groups fill up.

What is attendance like at St Peter and St Paul RC Primary School a Voluntary Academy?

Pupils were in school 96.2% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 9% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at St Peter and St Paul RC Primary School a Voluntary Academy?

The average class had 26.3 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class 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
Pilkington Street, Bolton, BL3 6HP
Telephone
01204 333030
Website
www.sspp.stoccat.org.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Louise Bates
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
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
Queens Park & Central
Constituency
Bolton South and Walkden
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 April 2025 (academy converter)
URN
151355 · LAESTAB 3503328 · UKPRN 10096593
Formerly
St Peter and St Paul RC Primary School

Where these figures come from