St Bede Academy

About St Bede Academy

St Bede Academy in Bolton is a Church of England primary that clearly appeals to local families. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 99 applications for 72 places, making it oversubscribed with a ratio of 1.38 applicants per place. Of those, 70 were first-preference applications, and all 70 received offers — a strong signal that most families who put it top of their list got in. The school is led by headteacher Anna Black and currently has 660 pupils on roll, slightly above its official capacity of 630. It offers nursery provision for three-year-olds and caters for children up to age 11. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2023, rated it Good across all five categories: overall effectiveness, quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. Its early years provision was also rated Good. This represents a change from its previous inspection in 2009, when it was judged Outstanding overall.

Academically, St Bede’s KS2 results for the 2023/24 year show 62% of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. That is slightly below the Bolton local authority average of 66%. The school’s ranking within Bolton places it 50th out of 87 primary schools, putting it in the bottom half of the local authority. Nationally, it sits at the 51st percentile. Looking at individual subjects, 83% of pupils met the expected standard in writing, 78% in maths, and 67% in reading. At the higher standard, 30% achieved in maths, 16% in reading, and 12% in writing. Only 8% reached the higher standard across all three subjects. The average scaled scores were 105 in maths and 103 in reading. Progress measures for reading, writing and maths were not provided in the data.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including a dining hall, library, art studios, gymnasium, outdoor playground, and a chapel. Sports provision covers football, rounders, dance, cricket, athletics, tennis, and swimming. There are also clubs for science, eco activities, drama, and gardening. For families with children who have additional needs, St Bede lists support for social, emotional and mental health, speech, language and communication, hearing and visual impairments, physical disability, autistic spectrum disorder, and other difficulties. The school is state-funded and mixed-gender, with a Church of England religious character. It sits in the North West region within the Bolton local authority. For parents prioritising a Good-rated school with strong local demand and a clear set of SEND provisions, St Bede Academy is a solid option, though those seeking the highest academic outcomes in the area may want to compare it with the top-performing primaries nearby.

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