St Thomas of Canterbury RC School

St Thomas of Canterbury RC School remains a good school with warm and positive relationships at its core. The school prides itself on making pupils feel welcomed and valued, which is evident in the positive behaviour and engagement of the students. Teachers are dedicated to helping students achieve and enjoy their learning, contributing to an environment where pupils thrive academically and socially. The curriculum is thoughtfully designed to support both academic learning and wider development, enriching students' experiences through various extracurricular activities and a culture of inclusivity and respect.

Strengths

• Pupils display warm and positive relationships with peers and staff.
• Staff have high expectations and support pupils effectively.
• The curriculum is broad and designed to build knowledge logically.
• Pupils actively contribute to school life as leaders and supporting one another.
• Many extracurricular activities are available to enhance pupils' talents.
• Effective safeguarding arrangements are in place.

Areas for Improvement

• Some reading books do not match the sounds that pupils have learned, hindering fluency.

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 St Thomas of Canterbury RC School attended 95.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 10.3% 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, 0.0% of pupils at St Thomas of Canterbury RC 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 St Thomas of Canterbury RC School had 25.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 5.8% 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, 21.7% of pupils at St Thomas of Canterbury RC School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.4% 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 St Thomas of Canterbury RC School received £6,079 and spent £6,490 for each of its 410 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £178,000 (£434 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 St Thomas of Canterbury RC School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Thomas of Canterbury RC School is Good, from an inspection in November 2023.

When was St Thomas of Canterbury RC School last inspected by Ofsted?

St Thomas of Canterbury RC School was last inspected in November 2023.

How many pupils does St Thomas of Canterbury RC School have?

St Thomas of Canterbury RC School has 410 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Thomas of Canterbury RC School cover?

St Thomas of Canterbury RC School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are St Thomas of Canterbury RC School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 52% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Thomas of Canterbury RC School?

St Thomas of Canterbury RC School is at Eastbourne Grove, Heaton, Bolton, Lancashire, BL1 5LH.