Highfield Primary School

About Highfield Primary School

Highfield Primary School in Bolton holds a Good rating from Ofsted, a grade it has maintained across its two most recent inspections, including an ungraded visit in 2022 that confirmed the school 'remains Good'. The most telling academic metric is the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which sits at 76%. That is ten percentage points above the Bolton local authority average of 66%, placing the school in the top 25% of primaries in the borough. In fact, Highfield ranks 23rd out of 87 primary schools in Bolton on this measure, and 336th out of 2,065 in the North West region. The school's Progress 8 scores are not available, but its average scaled scores in reading (107) and maths (106) are both above the national benchmark of 100, suggesting pupils typically leave Year 6 performing at a solid level.

Looking closer at the breakdown, 86% of pupils met the expected standard in maths, and 83% did so in reading, while writing was slightly lower at 78%. At the higher standard, 37% of children achieved above the expected level in reading, 17% in maths and 12% in writing, though only 5% hit the higher bar across all three subjects. The school has a higher-than-average proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at 24.5%, so these results are particularly encouraging. Ofsted rated leadership and management, early years provision and behaviour and attitudes all as Good in the 2017 graded inspection, with no category judged less than that. The school does not have a sixth form, as it is a primary for ages 4 to 11, and there is no nursery provision on site.

Highfield is a popular choice in Bolton, oversubscribed for the 2025/26 intake with 126 applications for 61 places, giving a ratio of 2.07 applicants per place. All 60 first-preference applicants were offered a spot, so living close to the catchment area is clearly important. The school supports a wide range of special educational needs, including dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional needs, speech and language challenges, hearing impairment, physical disability and autistic spectrum disorder. Facilities include a library, playing fields, art studios, an outdoor playground and a chapel. After-school clubs cover coding, art, science and eco activities, while sports provision includes swimming, gymnastics, cross country and athletics. For families seeking a strong academic primary with good SEND support and a clear record of above-average outcomes, Highfield is a solid option within Bolton.

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