Bolton-le-Sands Church of England Primary School

Bolton-le-Sands Church of England Primary is a welcoming village school where pupils feel safe, valued and part of a strong community. Attendance is high and persistent absence is low, behaviour is calm and orderly, and pupils are proud of their school. The early years provision is particularly strong, giving children a confident start through a well-designed curriculum, warm relationships and secure foundations in reading and mathematics. Safeguarding standards are met. Most areas of the school’s work are performing at the expected standard. The curriculum is broad, ambitious and tailored to the local context, teaching builds well on prior learning, and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities generally achieve well from their starting points. Leadership is stable and well regarded, governors provide effective support and challenge, and staff feel well supported. Pupils benefit from a wide range of enrichment and outdoor learning opportunities, and they have meaningful chances to contribute to school and community life. This was a full inspection in September 2026 following a significant staffing change, including the appointment of a new headteacher in April 2026; the school has a Christian character and is in the Diocese of Blackburn. The main areas for improvement are the variable proportion of pupils reaching the higher standard in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of key stage 2, SEND support targets that are not consistently precise or measurable enough, and pupils’ uneven understanding of fundamental British values and diversity. Overall, the school is performing well, with clear leadership capacity to address these priorities.

Strengths

• High attendance rates and low persistent absenteeism, including for disadvantaged pupils.
• Calm, orderly environment with strong routines and very good pupil behaviour.
• Highly ambitious early years curriculum with secure foundations in reading and mathematics.
• Warm, nurturing relationships that help children settle quickly and become confident learners.
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities generally achieve well from their starting points.
• Broad and ambitious curriculum tailored to the local area and logically sequenced.
• Staff use assessment well to identify gaps and adapt teaching, including through teaching assistants.
• Stable leadership with accurate self-evaluation and effective governor support and challenge.
• Staff feel well supported, value high-quality training and describe the school as a family.
• Wide enrichment and outdoor learning opportunities that build confidence, teamwork and responsibility.
• Pupils have a strong sense of belonging and feel safe and respected.
• Safeguarding standards are met.

Areas for Improvement

• The proportion of pupils reaching the higher standard in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of key stage 2 is variable.
• SEND support plan targets are not consistently precise or measurable enough to identify small steps and evaluate impact.
• Pupils’ knowledge of fundamental British values is variable across the school.
• Pupils’ understanding of diversity and difference is not as secure as it could be, with limited meaningful links to life in modern Britain.

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 Bolton-le-Sands Church of England Primary School attended 96.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 4.2% 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, 0.7% of pupils at Bolton-le-Sands Church of England 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 Bolton-le-Sands Church of England Primary School had 23.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 7.4% 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, 3.4% of pupils at Bolton-le-Sands Church of England Primary 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 Bolton-le-Sands Church of England Primary School received £6,159 and spent £6,293 for each of its 290 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £77,000 (£264 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 Carnforth · Lancashire local authority: places and applications

What is Bolton-le-Sands Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Bolton-le-Sands Church of England Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in October 2026.

When was Bolton-le-Sands Church of England Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Bolton-le-Sands Church of England Primary School was last inspected in October 2026.

How many pupils does Bolton-le-Sands Church of England Primary School have?

Bolton-le-Sands Church of England Primary School has 290 pupils on roll.

What age range does Bolton-le-Sands Church of England Primary School cover?

Bolton-le-Sands Church of England Primary School for pupils aged 5 to 11.

What are Bolton-le-Sands Church of England Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 59% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Bolton-le-Sands Church of England Primary School?

Bolton-le-Sands Church of England Primary School is at Mount Pleasant Lane, Bolton-le-Sands, Bolton-le-Sands School, Carnforth, Lancashire, LA5 8DT.