Schools in Bolton
114 schools with published admissions figures
The newest figures for each school. "1st prefs per place" is how many families put the school first, for each place it gave out. It measures demand, not whether a child would get a place. A dash means the figure is not available.
How the 2026 round went in Bolton
Primary
-
Offered their first choice
89.5%
Of families applying for a primary place for September 2026. Against 86.0% in 2016.
-
Offered one of their three
96.8%
Families offered any of the schools they named.
-
Families who applied
3,455
Applications received for a primary place. A family naming three schools counts once.
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
-
Offered their first choice
87.1%
Of families applying for a secondary place for September 2026. Against 83.3% in 2016.
-
Offered one of their three
96.8%
Families offered any of the schools they named.
-
Families who applied
3,868
Applications received for a secondary place. A family naming three schools counts once.
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.
Source: Department for Education, applications and offers. The same round across England.
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 Most appeals that do not are withdrawn because a place comes up first.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.
Secondary
| School | 1st prefs per place | Demand since | Latest Ofsted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bolton Muslim Girls School
Bolton |
1.29 | - | Not judged Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework) |
| Canon Slade School
Bolton |
1.00 | - | Not judged Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework) |
| Eden Boys' School, Bolton
Bolton |
1.66 | - | School remains Outstanding Ofsted ungraded inspection |
| Essa Academy
Bolton |
1.11 | - | Strong standard Ofsted report card (current framework) |
| Harper Green School
Bolton |
0.53 | - | Good Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework) |
| Kearsley Academy
Bolton |
0.86 | - | Good Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework) |
| King's Leadership Academy Bolton
Bolton |
0.73 | - | Good Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework) |
| Ladybridge High School
Bolton |
0.92 | - | Good Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework) |
| Little Lever School
Bolton |
0.94 | - | Expected standard Ofsted report card (current framework) |
| Mount St Joseph RC High School a Voluntary Academy
Bolton |
0.82 | - | Requires improvement Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework) |
| Rivington and Blackrod High School
Bolton |
1.01 | - | Good Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework) |
| Sharples School
Bolton |
1.46 | - | Improved significantly Ofsted ungraded inspection |
| Smithills School
Bolton |
0.56 | - | Needs attention Ofsted report card (current framework) |
| St James's Church of England High School
Bolton |
1.60 | - | Good Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework) |
| St Joseph's RC High School
Bolton |
1.06 | - | Not judged Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework) |
| Thornleigh Salesian College
Bolton |
0.93 | - | Not judged Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework) |
| Turton School
Bolton |
0.97 | - | Good Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework) |
| University Collegiate School
Bolton |
0.78 | - | Not judged Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework) |
| Westhoughton High School
Bolton |
0.86 | - | Needs attention Ofsted report card (current framework) |
Elsewhere
- Most sought-after schools in Bolton by first preferences per place
- Schools in BL1 (23)
- Schools in BL2 (16)
- Schools in BL3 (31)
- Schools in BL4 (17)
- Schools in BL5 (10)
- Schools in BL6 (12)
- Schools in BL7 (5)
- Schools in M26 (11)
- What data we hold