St Thomas of Canterbury RC School

About St Thomas of Canterbury RC School

St Thomas of Canterbury RC School sits in the middle of the pack academically when compared with other Bolton primary schools. Its key stage 2 results show 61% of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is five percentage points below the local authority average of 66%. That places the school 54th out of 97 primaries in Bolton, putting it in the bottom half of the league table. The school’s ranking score of 61 is a fair distance behind the top-performing local schools, such as The Olive School, Bolton, which scores 92. However, the picture is more mixed when you look at individual subjects: 78% of pupils met the expected standard in maths, and the average maths scaled score of 105 is solid. Reading and writing both sit at 67% for expected standards, with average reading scores at 104. The proportion reaching the higher standard across all three subjects is 19%, which is modest but not unusual for a school in this position.

The school has held a Good rating from Ofsted since at least its 2009 inspection, and its most recent ungraded visit in October 2023 confirmed it remains Good. Leadership and management, as well as overall effectiveness, were both graded Good in the last full graded inspection in 2014. The school is a Roman Catholic voluntary aided primary for mixed pupils aged 4 to 11, with a capacity of 420 and currently 415 on roll. It is oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry there were 116 applications for 60 places, with 49 first-preference offers made, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.93. That suggests it is a popular choice among local Catholic families, even if its headline results don’t place it among the elite performers in Bolton.

Facilities include a sports hall, playing fields, an ICT suite, a sensory room and a chapel, which reflects its faith-based character. The school offers a decent range of sports and clubs, including football, netball, swimming, drama, choir and eco club. It has identified SEND provisions covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health support. With 14.9% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the intake is slightly above the national average for disadvantage. This is a school that will suit families who value a Catholic ethos and a stable, Good-rated environment, but who are realistic about its academic standing relative to the strongest performers in Bolton.

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