Eagley Infant School

About Eagley Infant School

Eagley Infant School serves children from age 3 to 7 in Bolton, and its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023 rated it Good overall, with leadership and management judged Outstanding. That leadership rating is a strong signal, especially given the local picture: of the 97 primary schools in Bolton, only 16 hold an Outstanding rating from Ofsted. The school is clearly performing well above the baseline, but it's worth noting that the data doesn't include a Progress 8 score or KS2 results — those metrics apply to schools with older pupils, and Eagley's infant-only intake means its academic performance is measured differently. Compared with the Bolton LA average for KS2 (66 per cent reaching the expected standard), Eagley's pupils won't sit those tests until they move on to junior school, so direct headline comparisons aren't possible here. What we can say is that the school's trajectory is positive: its previous graded inspection in 2012 rated it Requires Improvement, and it has since climbed to Good, with leadership now recognised as Outstanding.

Academically, the picture is shaped by the school's age range. Eagley Infant School takes children from nursery through to Year 2, so there are no published SATs results or Progress 8 scores to examine. Instead, the most useful measure is the Ofsted inspection itself. The 2023 ungraded inspection confirmed the school remains Good, and the leadership and management were singled out as Outstanding — the highest possible grade. The early years provision, which was graded 3 (Requires Improvement) in the 2010 inspection, has clearly improved, though the 2023 report doesn't publish a separate early years grade. The school's capacity is 219, and with 199 pupils on roll, it's running close to full. Just 6 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is low compared with national averages, suggesting a relatively advantaged intake. The school is oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, it received 102 applications for 60 places, with 57 first-preference offers made, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.7.

For families considering Eagley, the practical details matter. The school has a nursery provision, which is a plus for parents wanting continuity from age 3. Facilities include a library, gymnasium, art studios, playing fields, a sports hall, an ICT suite, a sensory room, and even a chapel — a generous range for an infant school. Sports offered include dance, tennis, football, and cricket, and clubs extend to drama, choir, film club, and chess. The school's SEND provisions cover moderate learning difficulty, profound and multiple learning difficulty, social emotional and mental health needs, speech language and communication needs, and physical disability — a broad and inclusive offer. Oversubscription means applying early is wise, especially as 57 of the 60 places went to first-preference families. This is a school that suits families who value strong leadership, a wide range of facilities for young children, and a setting where the school is clearly popular within the local community. The nearest Outstanding-rated primary is St Paul's CofE in Astley Bridge, 2.4 km away, but Eagley's own Good rating with Outstanding leadership makes it a strong contender in its own right.

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