Little Lever School
101%
Capacity
1,064
Pupils
1.6x
Demand
About Little Lever School
Little Lever School sits comfortably above the Bolton local authority average for Progress 8, scoring 0.13 compared with the LA average of 0.07. That places it 8th out of 19 secondary schools in the borough, putting it in the top half of local state secondaries. The school is also oversubscribed, with 382 applications for 238 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, and 204 of those 208 first-preference families received an offer. This suggests a school that local parents rate well enough to put at the top of their list, and the numbers back that up — it is performing better than the typical Bolton secondary, even if it isn't among the very highest scorers in the area.
Academically, the school's Attainment 8 score sits at 45.8, and 65.5% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in both English and maths — the basics measure. The Progress 8 figure of 0.13 means pupils on average achieve slightly more than expected given their starting points, and the confidence interval (from -0.06 to 0.32) suggests this positive result is reliable. English is a particular strength, with a Progress 8 score of 0.27, while maths is closer to the national average at 0.04. The EBacc entry rate is low at 8.3%, and only 4.4% of pupils achieved the full EBacc at grade 5 or above, which is worth noting if that qualification matters to you. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022 rated it Good across the board, a clear improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2018.
The school offers a wide range of facilities including a swimming pool, theatre, and sports hall, and runs clubs from chess to coding and Young Enterprise. It has a strong set of SEND provisions covering dyslexia, autism, speech and language needs, and physical disabilities, among others. With 29.6% of pupils eligible for free school meals, it serves a relatively disadvantaged intake compared with the national average, yet still delivers above-average progress. There is no sixth form, so pupils will need to move on after Year 11. This is a solid, improving secondary that suits families looking for a good local option with decent results, strong English outcomes, and a broad extracurricular offer — particularly if the child has SEND needs that the school is well equipped to support.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 16 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Church Street, Bolton, Bolton, BL3 1BT |
| Headteacher | Dominic Mckeon |
| Local Authority | Bolton |
| Number of Pupils | 1,064 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 29.6% |
| School Capacity | 1,064 / 1,050 (101% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
8 Mar 2022Overall Effectiveness
Good
Source: Ofsted, 18 May 2022. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.13)
1247th of 3,141
Nationally
130th of 445
In North West
8th of 19
In Bolton
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make similar progress to students nationally with the same starting point
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/231%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 209 pupils).
- FE college49%
- Sixth form college29%
- Not sustained8%
- Employment7%
- Apprenticeship4%
- School sixth form (stay)1%
91% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
8Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
19Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed238
382
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
208 families put this school as their 1st choice (54% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:30 – 15:00
Source: little-lever.bolton.sch.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than half of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Above the national average (25%) — higher-disadvantage intake.
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British83.5%
- Asian7.1%
- Mixed4.8%
- White (other)1.9%
- Black0.3%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
11
Total schools
11
Oversubscribed
10
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Little Lever School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Church Street, Bolton
Bolton, BL3 1BT
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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