St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Bolton
Primary · Voluntary controlled school · Ages 3–11 · Bolton
Last distance offered · Reception 2026
Every applicant was offered a place
From Bolton Council · offers on 16 April 2026
2021–2025 trend 🔒
Nearby schools' earlier years 🔒
St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Bolton is a primary school in Bolton for ages 3–11 (voluntary controlled school). Its latest Ofsted outcome is School remains Good, from the inspection on 8 March 2023. Bolton has published a last distance offered for this school for Reception 2021 to 2026 entry.
St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Bolton catchment area: last distance offered
Parents often call this the catchment area: it's how far from the school the last child offered a place lived. It changes every year.
| Entry | Last distance offered |
|---|---|
| Reception 2026 | Every applicant was offered a place |
| Reception 2025 | 🔒 With a pass |
| Reception 2024 | 🔒 With a pass |
| Reception 2023 | 🔒 With a pass |
| Reception 2022 | 🔒 With a pass |
| Reception 2021 | 🔒 With a pass |
What the pass includes · How to read it: one past year, not a catchment
What the figures show
- 36 first-choice applications for 57 offers at Reception 2026, 0.6 first choices per offer, the 3rd lowest of 90 Bolton primary schools; every first-choice family was offered a place.
- Every applicant was offered a place for Reception 2026, as at 31 of the 88 other Bolton primary schools with a published Reception 2026 outcome.
- In 2024/25, 47% met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (England 62%), the lowest of 9 schools: this one and the 8 nearest primary schools in Bolton.
- In 2024/25, 0% of pupils reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths (England 8%).
Worked out by Catchmently from the published figures on this page and those for other Bolton schools. Distances are as published; how they were measured differs between admission authorities.
Key facts
- Address
- Kentford Road, Halliwell, Bolton, BL1 2JL
- Type
- Voluntary controlled school
- Phase
- Primary
- Ages
- 3–11
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Council
- Bolton
- Pupils on roll
- 424 January 2026 school census
- Free school meals
- 45% of pupils eligible
- Pupils per teacher
- 17.4
Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026
Ofsted
School remains Good Inspected 8 March 2023
Strengths
- “Pupils at St Matthew’s achieve well.”
- “Teachers have high aspirations for the achievement of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).”
- “They enjoy their learning and they want to succeed.”
To improve
- “That said, in a small number of subjects, teachers do not check sufficiently well on pupils’ learning.”
- “As a result, occasionally, some pupils develop gaps in their knowledge.”
- “This hinders these pupils’ learning in these subjects.”
Safeguarding: Effective
Quoted from the Ofsted report published 11 May 2023 (read the report). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.
Exam results
| Measure | School | England |
|---|---|---|
| Key stage 2 · reading, writing and maths, expected standard (2024/25) | 47% | 62% |
Department for Education school performance data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Applications and offers
- 2026 Reception entry: 36 first-preference applications, 57 offers in total, 36 offers to first-preference applicants.
Department for Education, school-level applications and offers, figures on national offer day. Earlier years are in the pass.
Nearby primary schools
Straight-line distance, in Bolton.
- Gaskell Community Primary School 0.3 mi Not judged Last distance published
- The Valley Community Primary School 0.3 mi Outstanding Last distance published
- The Olive School, Bolton 0.3 mi Standards maintained Last distance published
- Brownlow Fold Primary School 0.4 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- St Thomas C of E Primary School, Halliwell 0.5 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton 0.6 mi Standards maintained Last distance published
- Oxford Grove Primary School 0.6 mi Outstanding Last distance published
- St Paul's CofE Primary School, Astley Bridge 0.8 mi Not judged Last distance published