St George's CofE Primary School

About St George's CofE Primary School

St George's CofE Primary School in Bolton is a state primary for children aged 3 to 11, currently teaching 260 pupils against a capacity of 300. That leaves some headroom, but the school is clearly in demand: for the 2025/26 intake, it received 76 applications for just 29 places, with 26 of those coming as first preferences. The oversubscription ratio sits at 2.62, meaning nearly three families compete for every spot. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is 13.3%, which is below the national average for primary schools and suggests a relatively less deprived intake than many of its Bolton neighbours. The school has a Church of England character and is led by headteacher James Young. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, in 2021, rated it Good overall, with every category — from quality of education to behaviour and leadership — also judged Good. That marks a clear improvement from its previous inspection in 2018, when it was rated Requires Improvement.

Academically, St George's performs well above the local average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 78% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a Bolton local authority average of 66%. That places the school 14th out of 87 primary schools in the borough, putting it in the top 25% locally and in the top 14% nationally. Subject-level scores are solid: 89% of pupils met the expected standard in both reading and maths, and 81% in writing. At the higher standard, 14% achieved the top marks across all three subjects, with reading leading at 31% and maths at 22%. Average scaled scores were 106 in both reading and maths, comfortably above the national benchmark of 100. Progress scores aren't available in the data, so it's hard to say how much value the school adds relative to starting points, but the raw outcomes are strong and consistent.

The school offers a broad set of facilities including a library, sports hall, gymnasium, ICT suite, music rooms, chapel and playing fields. Sports provision covers swimming, netball, cricket, athletics, cross country and rounders, while clubs extend to drama, choir, book club, film club, gardening and art. There is nursery provision for younger children. SEND support is well-documented, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, speech and language needs, social and emotional mental health, hearing and visual impairment, and autistic spectrum disorder. For families weighing up options, St George's is a strong, improving school with good exam results and clear demand from local parents. The nearest Outstanding-rated alternative is Eatock Primary School, 0.6 km away, but St George's own Good rating and upward trajectory make it a serious contender for families in central Bolton.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About St George's CofE Primary School

Helpful Guides for Parents