The Olive School, Bolton
About The Olive School, Bolton
The Olive School, Bolton is a Muslim primary school in Bolton that is currently oversubscribed by a significant margin. For its 59 Reception places in the 2025/26 admissions cycle, the school received 177 total applications, giving an oversubscription ratio of 3 to 1. Of those, 87 were first-preference applications, and 57 first-preference offers were made. The school currently has 425 pupils on roll against a capacity of 420, so it is running slightly over its official number. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 18.1 per cent, which is above the national average for primary schools. This suggests the school serves a community with above-average levels of disadvantage, yet demand from local families remains extremely high. The school is one of 16 primary schools in Bolton rated Outstanding by Ofsted, and it sits just 0.4 km from another Outstanding-rated school, The Valley Community Primary School, indicating a cluster of high-performing provision in this part of the borough.
Key Details
The full report on this school
What 78 parents told Ofsted, the inspection in plain English, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.
- Ofsted inspection in plain EnglishStrengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
- Parent View survey resultsWhat parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
- Where Ofsted and parents disagreeGaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
- Admissions & catchmentAdmission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
- Nearby schools comparedBackup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
- Attendance & behaviour dataPersistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
12 Feb 2025Latest monitoring visit (12 Feb 2025): Standards maintained
Source: Ofsted, 16 Sept 2019. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
Facilities
6Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
8Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
School day
Teaching hours
08:15 – 15:15
Breakfast club
07:30-08:00
Source: olivebolton.com. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
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