St Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever

About St Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever

Parents considering St Michael's CofE Primary School in Great Lever will find a school that is clearly popular locally. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 102 applications for 59 places, making it oversubscribed with a ratio of 1.73 applicants per place. Of those, 64 families put it as their first preference, and 55 of those were offered a spot. That level of demand suggests a strong reputation among local families, though the school does not publish a parent satisfaction survey percentage to back that up directly. The school is led by headteacher Matthew Worden and serves 479 pupils, slightly above its official capacity of 475. As a Church of England primary, it has a religious character that may appeal to some families, and it offers nursery provision for children from age two, which is a practical bonus for working parents.

Academically, St Michael's presents a mixed picture. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2024, the school retained its overall Good rating, with inspectors noting it is 'Improving'. The early years provision was rated Outstanding, a significant improvement from the previous inspection. However, the school's Key Stage 2 results for 2023/24 show that only 53% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, well below the Bolton local authority average of 66%. This places the school 70th out of 87 primary schools in the borough, in the bottom half nationally. Individual subject scores are more encouraging: 73% reached the expected level in writing, and 65% in maths, with average scores of 101 in both reading and maths. The proportion reaching the higher standard in all three subjects is just 2%, so while the school supports most children to a solid baseline, stretching the highest achievers appears to be an area for development.

The school offers a decent range of facilities including a library, music rooms, a chapel, playing fields and an outdoor playground. Sports provision covers netball, cross country, gymnastics, athletics and rounders, while after-school clubs include drama, eco club, coding and film club. For families with children who have additional needs, St Michael's has identified SEND provisions for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. The school is oversubscribed, so families living outside the catchment area should be prepared for competition. Given the below-average KS2 outcomes, this school may suit parents who prioritise a supportive, improving environment with strong early years and SEND support over top-tier academic results.

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