The Ferns Primary Academy
Primary · Academy sponsor led · Ages 3–11 · Bolton
Last distance offered · Reception 2026
Every applicant was offered a place
From Bolton Council · offers on 16 April 2026
2022–2025 trend 🔒
Nearby schools' earlier years 🔒
The Ferns Primary Academy is a primary school in Bolton for ages 3–11 (academy sponsor led). Bolton has published a last distance offered for this school for Reception 2022 to 2026 entry.
The Ferns Primary Academy 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 |
What the pass includes · How to read it: one past year, not a catchment
What the figures show
- Every applicant was offered a Reception place in 2026, as at 31 of the 88 other Bolton primary schools with a published Reception 2026 outcome.
- In 1 of the 2 earlier Reception years with a published outcome (2023 and 2025), places ran out and a last distance was published.
- Reception 2026 had 39 first-choice applications for 46 offers (0.8 first choices per offer, the 22nd lowest of 90 Bolton primary schools); every first-choice family was offered a place.
- In 2024/25, 76% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (England 62%), and 12% reached the higher standard (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
- Plodder Lane, Farnworth, Bolton, BL4 0DA
- Type
- Academy sponsor led
- Phase
- Primary
- Ages
- 3–11
- Council
- Bolton
- Pupils on roll
- 445 January 2026 school census
- Free school meals
- 30.6% of pupils eligible
- Pupils per teacher
- 24.4
Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026
Ofsted
No Ofsted grade Inspected 6 January 2026
Strengths
- “Pupils at The Ferns are enthused to attend this friendly, thriving school.”
- “They arrive happily each morning and quickly settle to their studies.”
- “Pupils relish their time in school and place a high value on their education.”
To improve
- “Attendance for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities remains below national figures.”
- “Although the behaviour policy is clear, the approaches that staff use are occasionally not applied uniformly.”
- “This means that a small number of pupils receive inconsistent guidance and support on how to improve their behaviour.”
Safeguarding: met
Quoted from the Ofsted report published 16 March 2026 (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) | 76% | 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: 39 first-preference applications, 46 offers in total, 39 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.
- Queensbridge Primary School 0.3 mi Good Last distance published
- Our Lady of Lourdes RC Primary School 0.4 mi Not judged Last distance published
- St James CofE Primary School, Farnworth 0.4 mi Not judged
- Highfield Primary School 0.4 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- All Saints CofE Primary School 0.7 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- St Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever 0.8 mi School remains Good (Improving) - S5 Next Last distance published
- St Peter's CofE Primary School 0.8 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- St Gregory's RC Primary School, A Voluntary Academy 0.9 mi Good