Birtenshaw School Bolton

Birtenshaw School is demonstrating effective safeguarding practices and has created a supportive environment for its pupils, who all have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school prioritizes the well-being and safety of its students by employing well-trained staff and maintaining robust procedures to monitor and respond to any welfare concerns. Relationships between pupils and staff are strong, enabling concerns to be identified and addressed swiftly. The involvement of the Birtenshaw Group adds further support and expertise to the school's operations, ensuring that governance remains vigilant and effective. While the inspection did not identify serious concerns, there is a note of caution regarding overall standards; the potential for declining performance necessitates close monitoring. The school's organized structure and thorough training programs indicate strengths, but it remains vital that these practices continue to evolve to meet the changing needs of the pupils and to prepare for future inspections.

Strengths

• Strong culture of safeguarding that helps pupils feel safe and happy.
• Effective supportive relationships between pupils and staff.
• Well-trained staff in safeguarding and behaviour management.
• Robust procedures for managing pupil behaviour and maintaining safety.
• Detailed record-keeping on safeguarding concerns and pupil behaviour.
• Support from Birtenshaw Group enhances oversight and expertise.

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).

In 2024–25 pupils at Birtenshaw School Bolton attended 88.4% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 27.4% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 35.3%).

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 Birtenshaw School Bolton were suspended at least once (nationally 5.1%). 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 Birtenshaw School Bolton had 137 pupils, 100.0% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 98.6%).

It says it provides for: specific learning difficulty; moderate learning difficulty; severe learning difficulty; profound and multiple learning difficulty; social, emotional and mental health; speech, language and communication needs; autistic spectrum disorder; other difficulty or disability.

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 non-maintained special school schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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

What is Birtenshaw School Bolton's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Birtenshaw School Bolton is Good, from an inspection in March 2024.

When was Birtenshaw School Bolton last inspected by Ofsted?

Birtenshaw School Bolton was last inspected in March 2024.

How many pupils does Birtenshaw School Bolton have?

Birtenshaw School Bolton has 137 pupils on roll.

What age range does Birtenshaw School Bolton cover?

Birtenshaw School Bolton for pupils aged 3 to 19.

Where is Birtenshaw School Bolton?

Birtenshaw School Bolton is at Darwen Road, Bromley Cross, Bolton, Lancashire, BL7 9AB.