Boltons CofE School

Boltons CofE School is a small, welcoming Church of England primary where pupils describe the school as being 'like a family' and speak highly of their relationships with staff and each other. Inspectors found a calm, respectful environment, high expectations for pupils' personal and academic achievement, and effective safeguarding. Pupils benefit from a broad curriculum, strong reading and phonics provision, good support for pupils with SEND, improved attendance, and a personal development programme that is a key strength, including trips, clubs, leadership roles and careers experiences. Governors, leaders and staff share a clear vision focused on pupils' best interests, and parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school.

Strengths

• Pupils are proud of their school and describe it as a supportive family-like community.
• Pupils behave well, are respectful and work hard without disrupting others.
• The school has high expectations for pupils' personal and academic achievement.
• Pupils with SEND are quickly identified and the curriculum is adapted so they can achieve well.
• The phonics programme is firmly embedded and helps pupils become confident readers.
• Pupils who struggle with reading are swiftly identified and effectively supported to catch up.
• Personal development and well-being support is a key strength of the school.
• Attendance has improved through effective action and close work with families.
• Governors carry out their roles effectively and staff feel well supported.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• In some subjects, learning activities do not consistently help pupils link prior knowledge to new learning, limiting depth of understanding.
• The approach to teaching subject-specific vocabulary is in its infancy, and some pupils struggle to remember and use key words.

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 Boltons CofE School attended 94.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 13.7% 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 Boltons CofE 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 Boltons CofE School had 14.6 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, 17.4% of pupils at Boltons CofE School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.3% 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 Boltons CofE School received £7,450 and spent £7,627 for each of its 86 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £24,000 (£275 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 Wigton · Cumberland local authority: places and applications

What is Boltons CofE School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Boltons CofE School is Good, from an inspection in July 2025.

When was Boltons CofE School last inspected by Ofsted?

Boltons CofE School was last inspected in July 2025.

How many pupils does Boltons CofE School have?

Boltons CofE School has 86 pupils on roll.

What age range does Boltons CofE School cover?

Boltons CofE School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Boltons CofE School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 45% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Boltons CofE School?

Boltons CofE School is at Bolton Low Houses, Wigton, Cumbria, CA7 8PA.