St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Bolton

About St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Bolton

St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Bolton sits within the Bolton local authority, where it ranks 82nd out of 87 primary schools on the key stage 2 expected standard measure. That places it in the bottom half of schools locally, and well behind the top-performing peers in the area: The Olive School, Bolton, The Oaks Primary School, and Beaumont Primary School. The nearest outstanding-rated school, The Olive School, Bolton, is just 0.4 kilometres away, which gives families in the immediate neighbourhood a highly-rated alternative within walking distance. St Matthew's is a Church of England state primary for mixed-gender pupils aged 3 to 11, with a nursery on site. It is led by headteacher Anna Lister and currently has 448 pupils on roll, which is 28 above its official capacity of 420. The school has a high proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals, at 42.6 per cent, and it is oversubscribed for 2025/26: 67 applications were received for 42 places, with 39 first-preference offers made.

In its most recent graded Ofsted inspection, carried out in 2017, St Matthew's was rated Good overall, with Good ratings for leadership and management, early years provision, and the quality of education. An ungraded inspection in 2023 confirmed the school remains Good. The previous inspection, in 2012, also rated it Good, so the school has held a consistent Good rating across all three inspections. At key stage 2 in 2023/24, 46 per cent of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with the Bolton local authority average of 66 per cent. In reading, 61 per cent met the expected standard and 17 per cent reached the higher standard; in writing, 61 per cent met the expected standard and just 2 per cent reached the higher standard; in maths, 69 per cent met the expected standard and 17 per cent reached the higher standard. Average scores in reading and maths were both 102. Nationally, the school ranks in the bottom 16 per cent of primaries on the combined expected standard measure.

The school offers a range of facilities including a library, ICT suite, gymnasium, sports hall, music rooms, sensory room and chapel. Sports provision covers dance, football, cricket and swimming, and there are clubs such as film club, choir, science club, drama and art club. St Matthew's has a broad SEND offer, with provisions for specific learning difficulties including dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, hearing impairment, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, autistic spectrum disorder, and other difficulties. The school is oversubscribed, with a ratio of 1.6 applications per place, so families applying for a Reception place will need to be aware of the competition. This is a school that serves a community with above-average deprivation and has maintained a Good rating over time, but its academic outcomes are below the local average. It may suit families who value its inclusive SEND support, its Church of England character, and its range of facilities and clubs, but who are also prepared to look at higher-performing alternatives nearby if academic results are a priority.

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