Hardy Mill Primary School

Hardy Mill Primary School is maintaining the standards established in previous inspections and continues to provide a friendly and nurturing environment for its pupils. The school has a strong focus on achieving high expectations for all students, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), which is evident in the broad and ambitious curriculum they follow. Pupils’ enjoyment of learning is reflected in their positive behavior and participation in various enriching activities, fostering a strong sense of community and belonging. Although the overall performance is commendable, there are areas where improvements are needed, particularly in teachers' communication of new concepts and checking students' understanding.

Strengths

• Pupils feel a strong sense of belonging and enjoy learning.
• High expectations for pupils' achievement are evident.
• Effective support for pupils with SEND to ensure they learn well.
• Strong emphasis on fostering a love of reading among pupils.
• Phonics instruction is a particular strength, contributing to fluent reading.
• Pupils engage in diverse extracurricular activities that enrich their learning.
• Positive working environment for staff with support for their well-being.

Areas for Improvement

• Teachers sometimes do not explain new learning clearly enough.
• Inconsistent checks on pupils' understanding may lead to misconceptions.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Hardy Mill Primary School attended 95.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.6% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.3% of pupils at Hardy Mill Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Hardy Mill Primary School had 21.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 9.8% of pupils at Hardy Mill Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.9% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Hardy Mill Primary School received £6,157 and spent £6,399 for each of its 316 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £18,000 (£57 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Bolton · Bolton local authority: places and applications

What is Hardy Mill Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Hardy Mill Primary School is Good, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was Hardy Mill Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Hardy Mill Primary School was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does Hardy Mill Primary School have?

Hardy Mill Primary School has 316 pupils on roll.

What age range does Hardy Mill Primary School cover?

Hardy Mill Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Hardy Mill Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 69% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Hardy Mill Primary School?

Hardy Mill Primary School is at Hardy Mill Road, Harwood, Bolton, Lancashire, BL2 4EF.