Bolton by Bowland Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Bolton by Bowland Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is a very small rural primary that inspectors judged to be meeting the expected standard across all inspected areas. Safeguarding standards are met, and the school has an open, positive safeguarding culture. Pupils are happy, safe and well cared for; they behave with kindness and respect, attendance is strong, and poor behaviour or bullying is extremely rare. The school’s warm, family ethos and deep links with the village community are clear strengths. Leaders have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and development areas and have worked effectively to build an ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum suitable for mixed-age classes. Teaching is secure in reading and mathematics, early years provision is strong, and pupils who are disadvantaged or have SEND are identified quickly and supported well. As a result, pupils make positive progress from their starting points and are generally ready for their next steps, although national test outcomes vary because cohorts are very small. The main areas for further development are assessment and writing. Checks on learning do not always pick up pupils’ misconceptions quickly enough, and some written errors are not corrected swiftly. Leaders have also identified that handwriting and spelling need to improve so that pupils apply secure habits consistently across their work.

Strengths

• Warm, family ethos and a strong sense of belonging for pupils and families
• Pupils behave with kindness and respect; bullying and poor behaviour are extremely rare
• Effective, proactive attendance systems keep absence well below national averages
• Ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum adapted successfully for mixed-age classes
• Strong early years provision with a clear focus on communication, language and early reading
• High expectations and effective support for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND
• Pupils achieve well from their starting points, with outcomes often above national averages where data is available
• Rich personal development, enrichment, trips and pupil responsibilities
• Knowledgeable leaders and governors provide accurate oversight and drive improvement
• Staff feel well supported, valued and cared for by leaders

Areas for Improvement

• Checks on learning do not always identify and address pupils’ misconceptions quickly enough
• Some pupils’ written mistakes are not picked up and corrected swiftly
• Teaching of handwriting and spelling needs to improve so pupils apply skills consistently

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 by Bowland Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School attended 95.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 7.1% 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 Bolton by Bowland Church of England Voluntary Aided 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 by Bowland Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School had 16.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 100.0% 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, 16.0% of pupils at Bolton by Bowland Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 0.0% 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 by Bowland Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School received £15,730 and spent £15,341 for each of its 25 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £16,000 (£654 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 Clitheroe · Lancashire local authority: places and applications

What is Bolton by Bowland Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Bolton by Bowland Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in July 2026.

When was Bolton by Bowland Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Bolton by Bowland Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does Bolton by Bowland Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School have?

Bolton by Bowland Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School has 25 pupils on roll.

What age range does Bolton by Bowland Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School cover?

Bolton by Bowland Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

Where is Bolton by Bowland Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?

Bolton by Bowland Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is at Gisburn Road, Bolton-by-Bowland, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 4NP.