# Schools in Bolton

114 schools with published admissions figures

"1st preferences per place" is how many families named a school first, for each place it offered, in the newest year held. It describes demand. It is not a pass rate and it does not say whether a child would be offered a place. A dash means the figure is not held.

## How the 2026 round went

Counts families, not schools. The table below cannot be added up into these figures, because a child naming three schools appears in three of its rows.

### Primary

For September 2026, 89.5% of families applying for a primary place here were offered their first choice, and 96.8% were offered one of the three schools they named.

That is 3.4 points higher than in 2016, when it was 86.0%.

The council's primary schools between them had 4,015 places for 3,455 applications. That is a total for the whole council and says nothing about any one school in it.


### Secondary

For September 2026, 87.1% of families applying for a secondary place here were offered their first choice, and 96.8% were offered one of the three schools they named.

That is 3.7 points higher than in 2016, when it was 83.3%.

The council's secondary schools between them had 4,385 places for 3,868 applications. That is a total for the whole council and says nothing about any one school in it.


## If a family is refused a place

In 2026, families in Bolton lodged 506 appeals about a school place.

401 of them were heard by a panel and 84 succeeded, which is about 21 in every 100 heard.

The other 105 did not reach a panel. Most appeals that do not are withdrawn because a place comes up first.

This is a record of decisions already made. A panel hears one case at a time and decides it on what that family sets out, so these figures do not indicate what would happen in any particular appeal.

Source: Department for Education, admission appeals in England, reporting year 2026. Counts every school in this council area. The share that succeeded is taken over appeals heard by a panel, not over appeals lodged.

## Schools here running specialist SEN provision

9 of this council's published schools run a SEN unit or a resourced provision: teaching for children with special educational needs, on the same site as the rest of the school.

| School | Phase | What it runs |
|---|---|---|
| [Bolton St Catherine's Academy, Bolton](/school/145314/bolton-st-catherine-s-academy) | all through | SEN unit and resourced provision |
| [Blackrod Anglican/Methodist Primary School, Bolton](/school/105211/blackrod-anglican-methodist-primary-school) | primary | Resourced provision |
| [Lever Edge Primary Academy, Bolton](/school/136395/lever-edge-primary-academy) | primary | SEN unit |
| [Moorgate Primary School, Bolton](/school/105171/moorgate-primary-school) | primary | Resourced provision |
| [Queensbridge Primary School, Bolton](/school/133925/queensbridge-primary-school) | primary | SEN unit |
| [Sharples Primary School, Bolton](/school/105162/sharples-primary-school) | primary | Resourced provision |
| [St Teresa's RC Primary School a Voluntary Academy, Bolton](/school/151261/st-teresa-s-rc-primary-school-a-voluntary-academy) | primary | Resourced provision |
| [Woodland Primary Academy, Bolton](/school/151024/woodland-primary-academy) | primary | SEN unit |
| [Rivington and Blackrod High School, Bolton](/school/143773/rivington-and-blackrod-high-school) | secondary | Resourced provision |

This says a provision exists and nothing more. Neither how many children it takes nor which kinds of need it is set up for is published for a mainstream school, and it is not a statement about how well any school supports children with SEN. Ask the school or the council. Source: Department for Education, special educational needs in England.

## All Through

| School | 1st prefs per place | Latest Ofsted |
|---|---:|---|
| [Bolton St Catherine's Academy (Bolton)](/school/145314/bolton-st-catherine-s-academy) | 0.81 | Not judged |

## Primary

| School | 1st prefs per place | Latest Ofsted |
|---|---:|---|
| [All Saints CofE Primary School (Bolton)](/school/105238/all-saints-cofe-primary-school) | 1.17 | Expected standard |
| [Beacon Primary School (Bolton)](/school/146535/beacon-primary-school) | 0.86 | Good |
| [Beaumont Primary School (BOLTON)](/school/105173/beaumont-primary-school) | 1.87 | Not judged |
| [Bishop Bridgeman CofE Primary School (Bolton)](/school/142923/bishop-bridgeman-cofe-primary-school) | 0.89 | Good |
| [Blackrod Anglican/Methodist Primary School (Bolton)](/school/105211/blackrod-anglican-methodist-primary-school) | 1.21 | School remains Good |
| [Blackrod Primary School (BOLTON)](/school/105191/blackrod-primary-school) | 0.98 | Outstanding |
| [Blackshaw Primary School (Bolton)](/school/105175/blackshaw-primary-school) | 1.04 | Not judged |
| [Bolton Parish Church, Church of England Primary School (Bolton)](/school/151025/bolton-parish-church-church-of-england-primary-school) | 1.33 | School remains Good |
| [Bowness Primary School (Bolton)](/school/142030/bowness-primary-school) | 1.00 | School remains Good |
| [Brandwood Primary School (Bolton)](/school/105148/brandwood-primary-school) | 0.91 | Good |
| [Brownlow Fold Primary School (Bolton)](/school/105149/brownlow-fold-primary-school) | 0.76 | Expected standard |
| [Castle Hill Primary School (Bolton)](/school/105150/castle-hill-primary-school) | 0.76 | Good |
| [Cherry Tree Primary School (Bolton)](/school/105187/cherry-tree-primary-school) | 0.89 | Expected standard |
| [Chorley New Road Primary Academy (Bolton)](/school/148095/chorley-new-road-primary-academy) | 1.07 | School remains Good |
| [Church Road Primary School (Bolton)](/school/105152/church-road-primary-school) | 1.00 | Standards maintained |
| [Clarendon Primary School (Bolton)](/school/105153/clarendon-primary-school) | 0.90 | Standards maintained |
| [Claypool Primary School (Bolton)](/school/105195/claypool-primary-school) | 0.93 | Expected standard |
| [Devonshire Road Primary School (Bolton)](/school/105154/devonshire-road-primary-school) | 0.86 | Good |
| [Eagley Infant School (Bolton)](/school/138011/eagley-infant-school) | 0.94 | School remains Good |
| [Eatock Primary School (Bolton)](/school/105202/eatock-primary-school) | 1.27 | School remains Outstanding |
| [Essa Primary Academy (BOLTON)](/school/140973/essa-primary-academy) | 0.80 | Not judged |
| [Gaskell Community Primary School (Bolton)](/school/105155/gaskell-community-primary-school) | 0.97 | Not judged |
| [Gilnow Primary School (Bolton)](/school/105198/gilnow-primary-school) | 0.78 | School remains Good |
| [Hardy Mill Primary School (Bolton)](/school/105189/hardy-mill-primary-school) | 0.98 | Standards maintained |
| [Harwood Meadows Primary School (Bolton)](/school/137991/harwood-meadows-primary-school) | 0.92 | Expected standard |
| [Haslam Park Primary School (Bolton)](/school/105168/haslam-park-primary-school) | 0.78 | Good |
| [Heathfield Primary School (Bolton)](/school/105172/heathfield-primary-school) | 1.33 | Strong standard |
| [High Lawn Primary School (Bolton)](/school/105156/high-lawn-primary-school) | 0.91 | Not judged |
| [Highfield Primary School (Bolton)](/school/105182/highfield-primary-school) | 0.92 | Expected standard |
| [Holy Infant and St Anthony RC Primary School (Bolton)](/school/105219/holy-infant-and-st-anthony-rc-primary-school) | 0.67 | Expected standard |
| [Horwich Parish CofE Primary School (Bolton)](/school/105233/horwich-parish-cofe-primary-school) | 0.72 | Expected standard |
| [Kearsley West Primary School (Bolton)](/school/105186/kearsley-west-primary-school) | 1.00 | Standards maintained |
| [Ladybridge Community Primary School (Bolton)](/school/105169/ladybridge-community-primary-school) | 0.80 | Expected standard |
| [Lever Edge Primary Academy (Bolton)](/school/136395/lever-edge-primary-academy) | 0.91 | Good |
| [Leverhulme Community Primary School (Bolton)](/school/131271/leverhulme-community-primary-school) | 0.79 | Needs attention |
| [Lostock Primary School (Bolton)](/school/151514/lostock-primary-school) | 1.37 | Outstanding |
| [Markland Hill Primary School (Bolton)](/school/105159/markland-hill-primary-school) | 1.26 | Not judged |
| [Masefield Primary School (Bolton)](/school/143031/masefield-primary-school) | 2.07 | School remains Good (Improving) - S5 Next |
| [Moorgate Primary School (Bolton)](/school/105171/moorgate-primary-school) | 2.46 | School remains Outstanding |
| [Mytham Primary School (Bolton)](/school/105190/mytham-primary-school) | 0.90 | School remains Good |
| [Our Lady of Lourdes RC Primary School (Bolton)](/school/105245/our-lady-of-lourdes-rc-primary-school) | 1.07 | Not judged |
| [Oxford Grove Primary School (Bolton)](/school/105160/oxford-grove-primary-school) | 1.20 | Outstanding |
| [Pikes Lane Primary School (Bolton)](/school/105161/pikes-lane-primary-school) | 0.91 | Not judged |
| [Prestolee Primary School (Manchester)](/school/141915/prestolee-primary-school) | 0.97 | Outstanding |
| [Queensbridge Primary School (Bolton)](/school/133925/queensbridge-primary-school) | 1.14 | Good |
| [Red Lane Primary School (Bolton)](/school/143030/red-lane-primary-school) | 0.90 | Not judged |
| [SS Osmund and Andrew's R.C. Primary School (Bolton)](/school/134237/ss-osmund-and-andrew-s-r-c-primary-school) | 0.80 | School remains Good |
| [Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Primary School (Bolton)](/school/105243/sacred-heart-roman-catholic-primary-school) | 0.97 | Outstanding |
| [Sharples Primary School (Bolton)](/school/105162/sharples-primary-school) | 0.79 | Standards maintained |
| [Spindle Point Primary School (Bolton)](/school/105196/spindle-point-primary-school) | 1.03 | Expected standard |
| [Ss Simon & Jude CofE Primary School, Bolton (Bolton)](/school/138957/ss-simon-jude-cofe-primary-school-bolton) | 0.93 | Good |
| [St Andrew's CofE Primary School, Over Hulton (Bolton)](/school/105236/st-andrew-s-cofe-primary-school-over-hulton) | 0.90 | Needs attention |
| [St Bartholomew's CofE Primary School (Bolton)](/school/105237/st-bartholomew-s-cofe-primary-school) | 1.30 | Not judged |
| [St Bede Academy (Bolton)](/school/136889/st-bede-academy) | 0.93 | Good |
| [St Bernard's RC Primary School, Bolton (Bolton)](/school/105230/st-bernard-s-rc-primary-school-bolton) | 0.83 | School remains Good |
| [St Brendan's RC Primary School, Harwood, Bolton (Bolton)](/school/105246/st-brendan-s-rc-primary-school-harwood-bolton) | 1.00 | Standards maintained |
| [St Catherine's CofE Primary School (Bolton)](/school/144045/st-catherine-s-cofe-primary-school) | 0.82 | School remains Good |
| [St Columba's RC Primary School (Bolton)](/school/105220/st-columba-s-rc-primary-school) | 0.93 | Good |
| [St Ethelbert's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy (Bolton)](/school/150179/st-ethelbert-s-roman-catholic-primary-school-a-voluntary-academy) | 0.85 | - |
| [St George's CofE Primary School (Bolton)](/school/131038/st-george-s-cofe-primary-school) | 1.10 | Expected standard |
| [St Gregory's RC Primary School, A Voluntary Academy (Bolton)](/school/147631/st-gregory-s-rc-primary-school-a-voluntary-academy) | 0.86 | Good |
| [St James CofE Primary School, Daisy Hill (Bolton)](/school/105209/st-james-cofe-primary-school-daisy-hill) | 0.80 | School remains Good |
| [St James CofE Primary School, Farnworth (Bolton)](/school/142944/st-james-cofe-primary-school-farnworth) | 0.92 | Not judged |
| [St John Church of England Primary School, Farnworth (Bolton)](/school/151026/st-john-church-of-england-primary-school-farnworth) | 0.86 | Good |
| [St John the Evangelist RC Primary School, Bromley Cross, Bolton (Bolton)](/school/105249/st-john-the-evangelist-rc-primary-school-bromley-cross-bolton) | 0.73 | School remains Good |
| [St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton (Bolton)](/school/105223/st-joseph-s-rc-primary-school-halliwell-bolton) | 0.94 | Standards maintained |
| [St Mary's CofE Primary School, Deane (Bolton)](/school/105203/st-mary-s-cofe-primary-school-deane) | 0.80 | School remains Outstanding |
| [St Mary's RC Primary School (Horwich, Bolton)](/school/105250/st-mary-s-rc-primary-school) | 1.03 | Standards maintained |
| [St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Bolton (Bolton)](/school/105205/st-matthew-s-cofe-primary-school-bolton) | 0.63 | School remains Good |
| [St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Little Lever (Bolton)](/school/105242/st-matthew-s-cofe-primary-school-little-lever) | 0.33 | School remains Good |
| [St Maxentius CofE Primary School (Bolton)](/school/146141/st-maxentius-cofe-primary-school) | 0.91 | Good |
| [St Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever (Bolton)](/school/105214/st-michael-s-cofe-primary-school-great-lever) | 0.93 | School remains Good (Improving) - S5 Next |
| [St Paul's CofE Primary School, Astley Bridge (Bolton)](/school/138851/st-paul-s-cofe-primary-school-astley-bridge) | 1.20 | Not judged |
| [St Peter and St Paul RC Primary School a Voluntary Academy (Bolton)](/school/151355/st-peter-and-st-paul-rc-primary-school-a-voluntary-academy) | 0.90 | School remains Good |
| [St Peter's CofE Primary School (Bolton)](/school/105239/st-peter-s-cofe-primary-school) | 1.00 | Expected standard |
| [St Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School (Bolton)](/school/145751/st-peter-s-smithills-dean-church-of-england-primary-school) | 1.07 | School remains Good |
| [St Saviour CofE Primary School, Ringley (Manchester)](/school/105248/st-saviour-cofe-primary-school-ringley) | 1.20 | Good |
| [St Stephen and All Martyrs' CofE School, Lever Bridge (Bolton)](/school/105217/st-stephen-and-all-martyrs-cofe-school-lever-bridge) | 0.86 | Good |
| [St Stephen's CofE Primary School (Bolton)](/school/105240/st-stephen-s-cofe-primary-school) | 0.75 | Good |
| [St Teresa's RC Primary School a Voluntary Academy (Bolton)](/school/151261/st-teresa-s-rc-primary-school-a-voluntary-academy) | 0.56 | Good |
| [St Thomas C of E Primary School, Halliwell (Bolton)](/school/105218/st-thomas-c-of-e-primary-school-halliwell) | 0.85 | Strong standard |
| [St Thomas CofE Primary School (Bolton)](/school/105234/st-thomas-cofe-primary-school) | 0.93 | Expected standard |
| [St Thomas of Canterbury RC School (Bolton)](/school/105221/st-thomas-of-canterbury-rc-school) | 0.77 | School remains Good |
| [St William of York Roman Catholic Primary School (Bolton)](/school/105226/st-william-of-york-roman-catholic-primary-school) | 0.96 | Not judged |
| [Sunning Hill Primary School (Bolton)](/school/105163/sunning-hill-primary-school) | 1.13 | Not judged |
| [The Ferns Primary Academy (Bolton)](/school/138399/the-ferns-primary-academy) | 0.85 | Strong standard |
| [The Gates Primary School (Bolton)](/school/133926/the-gates-primary-school) | 1.07 | School remains Good |
| [The Oaks Primary School (Bolton)](/school/105176/the-oaks-primary-school) | 0.87 | Good |
| [The Olive School, Bolton (Bolton)](/school/142898/the-olive-school-bolton) | 1.80 | Standards maintained |
| [The Olive Tree Primary School Bolton (Bolton)](/school/139776/the-olive-tree-primary-school-bolton) | 1.15 | Standards maintained |
| [The Valley Community Primary School (Bolton)](/school/133980/the-valley-community-primary-school) | 1.08 | Outstanding |
| [Tonge Moor Primary Academy (Bolton)](/school/145854/tonge-moor-primary-academy) | 0.90 | Good |
| [Walmsley CofE Primary School (Bolton)](/school/152265/walmsley-cofe-primary-school) | 0.95 | Requires improvement |
| [Woodland Primary Academy (Bolton)](/school/151024/woodland-primary-academy) | 0.73 | Good |

## Secondary

| School | 1st prefs per place | Latest Ofsted |
|---|---:|---|
| [Bolton Muslim Girls School (Bolton)](/school/142340/bolton-muslim-girls-school) | 1.29 | Not judged |
| [Canon Slade School (Bolton)](/school/144044/canon-slade-school) | 1.00 | Not judged |
| [Eden Boys' School, Bolton (Bolton)](/school/140959/eden-boys-school-bolton) | 1.66 | School remains Outstanding |
| [Essa Academy (Bolton)](/school/135770/essa-academy) | 1.11 | Strong standard |
| [Harper Green School (Bolton)](/school/143772/harper-green-school) | 0.53 | Good |
| [Kearsley Academy (Bolton)](/school/136135/kearsley-academy) | 0.86 | Good |
| [King's Leadership Academy Bolton (Bolton)](/school/147077/king-s-leadership-academy-bolton) | 0.73 | Good |
| [Ladybridge High School (Bolton)](/school/134646/ladybridge-high-school) | 0.92 | Good |
| [Little Lever School (Bolton)](/school/142296/little-lever-school) | 0.94 | Expected standard |
| [Mount St Joseph RC High School a Voluntary Academy (Bolton)](/school/151356/mount-st-joseph-rc-high-school-a-voluntary-academy) | 0.82 | Requires improvement |
| [Rivington and Blackrod High School (Bolton)](/school/143773/rivington-and-blackrod-high-school) | 1.01 | Good |
| [Sharples School (Bolton)](/school/142232/sharples-school) | 1.46 | Improved significantly |
| [Smithills School (Bolton)](/school/140500/smithills-school) | 0.56 | Needs attention |
| [St James's Church of England High School (Bolton)](/school/144046/st-james-s-church-of-england-high-school) | 1.60 | Good |
| [St Joseph's RC High School (Bolton)](/school/105262/st-joseph-s-rc-high-school) | 1.06 | Not judged |
| [Thornleigh Salesian College (Bolton)](/school/105264/thornleigh-salesian-college) | 0.93 | Not judged |
| [Turton School (Bolton)](/school/105253/turton-school) | 0.97 | Good |
| [University Collegiate School (Bolton)](/school/141941/university-collegiate-school) | 0.78 | Not judged |
| [Westhoughton High School (Bolton)](/school/105252/westhoughton-high-school) | 0.86 | Needs attention |

Full page: /schools/bolton
Figures from the Department for Education, Ofsted and local authorities; each school's own page lists its sources and dates.