SchoolScoresSt Thomas CofE Primary School, Halliwell
Voluntary aided school · Primary, ages 3 to 11 · Mixed · Church of England · Nursery class
Eskrick Street, Bolton, BL1 3JB
01204 333193 · School website · Map and directions
Ofsted inspection
Ofsted report card from the inspection that started on 10 March 2026 , published 20 May 2026.
In short: 6 strong, 1 expected, and safeguarding met.
Since November 2025 Ofsted grades each area on a five-point scale instead of giving one overall grade. How report cards work.
| Area | Grade |
|---|---|
| SafeguardingWhether pupils are kept safe. Met or not met. | Met |
| InclusionHow well the school supports disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs. | Strong standard Second of five grades. Better than the standard Ofsted expects. |
| Curriculum and teachingWhat pupils are taught and how well they are taught it. | Strong standard Second of five grades. Better than the standard Ofsted expects. |
| AchievementHow well pupils learn and the results they get. | Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects. |
| Attendance and behaviourWhether pupils come to school and how they behave. | Strong standard Second of five grades. Better than the standard Ofsted expects. |
| Personal development and wellbeingPupils' wider development, character and wellbeing. | Strong standard Second of five grades. Better than the standard Ofsted expects. |
| Early yearsNursery and reception classes. | Strong standard Second of five grades. Better than the standard Ofsted expects. |
| Leadership and governanceHow well leaders and governors run the school. | Strong standard Second of five grades. Better than the standard Ofsted expects. |
Read the full Ofsted reports for this school
Source: Ofsted state-funded schools inspection data.
What parents say
15 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 10 November 2025 and 6 April 2026.
Bolton comparisons use the 15 of its 99 state primary schools with comparable results. The other 84 have no published Parent View results (Ofsted only publishes a survey once at least 10 parents answer) or used Ofsted's newer questions, which we don't compare with the older ones.
| Statement | This school | Bolton | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| My child is happy at this school Joint 7th highest of 15 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in Bolton. Higher than 53% of 1,091 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 93% | 93% | 83% |
| My child feels safe at this school 7th highest of 15 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in Bolton. Higher than 48% of 1,091 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 93% | 94% | 85% |
| The school makes sure pupils are well behaved 5th highest of 15 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in Bolton. Higher than 71% of 1,091 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 93% | 87% | 78% |
| Concerns were dealt with properlyOf 13 parents who had raised a concern Joint 2nd highest of 14 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in Bolton. Higher than 79% of 1,062 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 92% | 83% | 74% |
| I would recommend this school to another parent Joint 4th highest of 15 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in Bolton. Higher than 56% of 1,091 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 93%said yes | 90% | 83% |
Parents choose whether to take part, so these answers may not represent all families (Ofsted puts the response rate at 4%). Figures are the share who agree or strongly agree. England figures are all parents answering the same questions over the same period, for state-funded schools. Bolton figures pool parents at the Bolton schools compared, from each school's latest survey, so survey dates differ between schools. The scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) agreement, and the dot marks this school among state schools of the same phase that used the same survey questions. The third it falls in is coloured: green for the top third, amber the middle, red the bottom. Source: Ofsted Parent View management information.
Results
Key stage 2 (SATs, age 11), 2024/25
42 pupils in this year group.
50% — 14 points below the Bolton average, and 12 points below the England average.
| Measure | This school | Bolton | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 50% | 64% | 62% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 2% | 10% | 8% |
| Met the expected standard in reading | 71% | 75% | 75% |
| Met the expected standard in writing | 57% | 74% | 72% |
| Met the expected standard in maths | 71% | 77% | 74% |
| Average reading scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 is the expected standard. | 104 | 105 | 106 |
| Average maths scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 is the expected standard. | 103 | 105 | 105 |
Source: DfE key stage 2 performance tables, 2024/25. England figures are for state-funded schools.
Admissions
Apply through the council where you live, even if the school is in a different council area. This school is in Bolton. The national closing date for primary applications is 15 January, and offers are sent on 16 April.
How hard is it to get in?
For the September 2026 intake there were fewer first-choice applications than places.
| Places offered | 41 |
|---|---|
| Families who put it first | 35 |
| Of those, offered a place | 35 (100%) |
| Families who listed it at all | 73 |
First-choice applications per place: 2024: 1.1 · 2025: 0.9 · 2026: 0.9
This isn't your chance of getting a place. That depends on the school's admissions rules (for example siblings, distance or faith) and where you live. Source: DfE applications and offers, September 2026 intake.
This is a Church of England school. When it has more applicants than places it can give priority to families of the faith, for example those who can show regular worship. Check the school's admissions policy to see how places are allocated.
Pupils, staff and SEND
| Pupils | This school | Bolton | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years 35th highest of 99 state primary schools in Bolton. Higher than 69% of 16,656 state primary schools in England. | 31.9% | 29.4%* | 26.3% |
| With an education, health and care plan 71st highest of 99 state primary schools in Bolton. Higher than 38% of 16,656 state primary schools in England. | 2.5% | 3.6%* | 3.5% |
| Receiving special educational needs support 92nd highest of 99 state primary schools in Bolton. Higher than 6% of 16,656 state primary schools in England. | 6.8% | 13.7%* | 15.0% |
| English as an additional language 20th highest of 99 state primary schools in Bolton. Higher than 94% of 16,656 state primary schools in England. | 62.2% | 34.6%* | 23.4% |
| Overall absence (sessions missed) 72nd lowest of 99 state primary schools in Bolton. Lower than 32% of 16,640 state primary schools in England. | 5.6% | 5.2%* | 5.2% |
| Persistently absent (missed 10% or more) 72nd lowest of 99 state primary schools in Bolton. Lower than 27% of 16,640 state primary schools in England. | 16.1% | 13.3%* | 13.0% |
| Suspensions per 100 pupils 66th lowest of 99 state primary schools in Bolton. Lower than 31% of 16,651 state primary schools in England. | 2.5 | 2.4 | 2.5 |
| Pupils suspended at least once 72nd lowest of 99 state primary schools in Bolton. Lower than 29% of 16,651 state primary schools in England. | 1.4% | 0.9% | 1.1% |
| Pupils permanently excluded0 pupils | 0.00% | 0.07% | 0.03% |
| Pupils per teacher Joint 56th highest of 99 state primary schools in Bolton. Higher than 60% of 16,642 state primary schools in England. | 21.4 | 21.8 | 20.7 |
| Pupils per adult (teachers and support staff) Joint 71st highest of 99 state primary schools in Bolton. Higher than 30% of 16,653 state primary schools in England. | 9.6 | 10.4 | 10.6 |
| Teachers who left during the year 68th highest of 98 state primary schools in Bolton. Higher than 24% of 15,063 state primary schools in England. | 5.7% | 12.8%* | 14.4%* |
Comparisons are with primary schools. Scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) figures. For absence and suspensions lower is better, so their scales run green to red; blue scales describe the school's pupils and staff and aren't good or bad. * Calculated by SchoolScores from the council's or England's schools, weighted by pupils (or teachers, for turnover); other figures are published by DfE. Sources: DfE school census 2024/25; DfE pupil absence 2024/25; DfE suspensions and permanent exclusions 2024/25; DfE school workforce census 2025/26; DfE teacher turnover 2024/25.
Nearby primary schools
- The Olive School, Bolton 0.2 miles · Ofsted: No graded inspection · 95% met expected standard (KS2)
- Brownlow Fold Primary School 0.2 miles · Ofsted: Report card 2026: 7 expected · 53% met expected standard (KS2)
- Al-Huda Primary School 0.2 miles · Independent · Ofsted: Good (2024)
- St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton 0.2 miles · Ofsted: Good (2019), confirmed 2024 · 61% met expected standard (KS2)
- Oxford Grove Primary School 0.3 miles · Ofsted: Outstanding (2023) · 80% met expected standard (KS2)
- St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Bolton 0.5 miles · Ofsted: Good (2017), confirmed 2023 · 47% met expected standard (KS2)
- Gaskell Community Primary School 0.6 miles · Ofsted: No overall grade (2025) · 79% met expected standard (KS2)
- The Valley Community Primary School 0.6 miles · Ofsted: Outstanding (2023) · 83% met expected standard (KS2)
- St Paul's CofE Primary School, Astley Bridge 0.7 miles · Ofsted: No overall grade (2024) · 79% met expected standard (KS2)
- Holy Infant and St Anthony RC Primary School 0.8 miles · Ofsted: Report card 2026: 5 expected, 2 needs attention · 52% met expected standard (KS2)
Straight-line distance. Distance isn't the same as a catchment area.
Questions parents ask
What is St Thomas CofE Primary School, Halliwell's Ofsted rating?
St Thomas CofE Primary School, Halliwell was inspected under Ofsted's report card format in 10 March 2026. Report cards grade each area on a five-point scale instead of giving one overall grade. Its grades were 6 strong, 1 expected, and safeguarding was met.
How did St Thomas CofE Primary School, Halliwell do in its SATs?
In 2024/25, 50% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, 12 points below the England average of 62%.
Would parents recommend St Thomas CofE Primary School, Halliwell?
93% of the 15 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 10 November 2025 and 6 April 2026 said they would recommend St Thomas CofE Primary School, Halliwell to another parent. Parents choose whether to respond, so this may not represent all families.
Is St Thomas CofE Primary School, Halliwell oversubscribed?
For the September 2026 intake, 35 families put St Thomas CofE Primary School, Halliwell as their first choice for 41 places: fewer first-choice applications than places. 35 of those families were offered a place. Whether you get a place depends on the school's admissions rules and where you live.
Sources
- School details: Get Information about Schools (DfE), 26 September 2026. URN 105218.
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, data to 31 August 2026.
- Parent views: Ofsted Parent View, 10 November 2025 to 6 April 2026.
- Results: DfE school performance tables, Key stage 2 2024/25.
Spotted a mistake? Report it and we'll check it against the source.
Page updated 26 September 2026.