St John the Evangelist RC Primary School, Bromley Cross, Bolton
82%
Capacity
172
Pupils
2.1x
Demand
About St John the Evangelist RC Primary School, Bromley Cross, Bolton
St John the Evangelist RC Primary School in Bromley Cross is a popular choice among local families, with 18 first-preference applications for 20 places in the 2025/26 admissions round. The school was oversubscribed overall, receiving 43 applications for those 20 spots, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.15. This level of demand suggests strong local confidence in the school. In its most recent ungraded inspection in January 2024, Ofsted confirmed the school remains Good, a notable improvement from its previous graded inspection in 2012, when it was rated Requires Improvement. The inspection report highlighted Good leadership and management, Good early years provision, and an overall Good rating. ParentView data is not available in this dataset, but the oversubscription figures alone indicate that many families in the area are actively seeking a place here.
Academically, the school's Key Stage 2 results for 2023/24 show a mixed picture. 60% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is below the Bolton local authority average of 66%. The school ranks 58th out of 87 primary schools in Bolton, placing it in the bottom half of the local authority. In individual subjects, 83% of pupils reached the expected standard in writing, compared with 77% in maths and 67% in reading. At the higher standard, 23% achieved in maths, 20% in writing, and 17% in reading. The average scaled scores were 104 in maths and 103 in reading. While these figures are not among the strongest in the borough, the school's Good Ofsted rating and the improvement trajectory from its previous Requires Improvement judgement suggest steady progress.
The school offers a range of facilities including a dining hall, library, sensory room, playing fields, outdoor playground, and a chapel. Sports provision covers football, gymnastics, dance, and athletics, while extracurricular clubs include drama, gardening, film club, choir, chess, and coding. The school has a published capacity of 210, with 172 pupils currently on roll, leaving some spare capacity. SEND support is available for a broad range of needs, including dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, physical disabilities, and autistic spectrum disorder. This is a Roman Catholic primary school in Bolton, and the oversubscription figures suggest it is particularly well-regarded among families seeking a faith-based education in the Bromley Cross area.
Key Details
| School Type | Primary (State) |
| Age Range | 5 to 11 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Roman Catholic |
| Address | Darwen Road, Bolton, Bolton, BL7 9HT |
| Headteacher | Lesley Jackson |
| Local Authority | Bolton |
| Number of Pupils | 172 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 12.8% |
| School Capacity | 172 / 210 (82% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
25 Jan 2024Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (25 Jan 2024): School remains Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 10 Nov 2014. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on KS2 Reading, Writing & Maths (60%)
7925th of 13,686
Nationally
1127th of 2,065
In North West
58th of 87
In Bolton
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE KS2 Reading, Writing & Maths data
KS2 SATs Results
2023/24Reading, Writing & Maths Combined
60%
Expected Standard
17%
Higher Standard
'22/23
59%
'23/24
60%
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. National expected standard benchmark is around 65%.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
6Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
10Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed20
43
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
18 families put this school as their 1st choice (42% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Half of schools in England do better than this.
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
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Above the national median (10%) — a meaningful share speak English as an additional language.
Ethnic background
- White British76.7%
- Asian8.1%
- Mixed5.3%
- White (other)2.9%
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
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this 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.
9
Total schools
7
Oversubscribed
7
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 St John the Evangelist RC Primary School, Bromley Cross, Bolton
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
How to Choose a Primary School
Step-by-step guide to choosing the right primary school
KS2 SATs Explained
A parent's guide to Year 6 SATs and how results are reported
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Contact Information
Darwen Road, Bolton
Bolton, BL7 9HT
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