Bolton-On-Swale St Mary's CofE Primary School

Bolton-On-Swale St Mary’s CofE Primary School is an inclusive, welcoming Church of England primary where pupils behave exceptionally well and show kindness, confidence and pride in their school. The inspection found good quality of education, outstanding behaviour and attitudes, and good personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. Pupils achieve well, attendance is above national rates, reading and phonics are strong, and pupils with SEND are well supported. The school has a rich curriculum in most subjects, strong community and church links, and high staff morale. The main area for improvement is that in a small number of subjects the essential knowledge pupils should learn has not been identified precisely enough. In these subjects, teachers cannot always check pupils’ understanding closely, and pupils do not consistently recall and connect their learning over time. Safeguarding is effective. This was the school’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and it is a voluntary aided school within the Diocese of Leeds.

Strengths

• Inclusive and welcoming Christian ethos that pupils demonstrate through kindness and respect
• Exemplary pupil behaviour and very high-quality attitudes to learning
• High expectations that raise pupils’ aspirations and help them achieve well
• Strong, consistent phonics teaching that gets pupils reading promptly
• Effective support for pupils with SEND so they learn alongside their peers
• Rich, interesting and well-resourced curriculum in most subjects
• Carefully planned early years provision that helps children learn and achieve well
• Outstanding personal development, including character, resilience and healthy living
• Strong community, church and local links that bring the curriculum to life
• Effective governance and high staff morale
• Parents show overwhelming support for the school
• Attendance rates above those found nationally

Areas for Improvement

• In a small number of subjects, the essential knowledge pupils need has not been precisely identified
• In those subjects, teachers cannot always check pupils’ understanding closely
• Pupils cannot consistently recall and connect their learning in subjects where key knowledge is unclear

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-On-Swale St Mary's CofE Primary School attended 96.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 5.2% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Bolton-On-Swale St Mary's CofE 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-On-Swale St Mary's CofE Primary School had 23.2 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, 14.3% of pupils at Bolton-On-Swale St Mary's CofE 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-On-Swale St Mary's CofE Primary School received £7,531 and spent £7,342 for each of its 105 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £57,000 (£541 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 Richmond · North Yorkshire local authority: places and applications

What is Bolton-On-Swale St Mary's CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Bolton-On-Swale St Mary's CofE Primary School is Good, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was Bolton-On-Swale St Mary's CofE Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Bolton-On-Swale St Mary's CofE Primary School was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does Bolton-On-Swale St Mary's CofE Primary School have?

Bolton-On-Swale St Mary's CofE Primary School has 105 pupils on roll.

What age range does Bolton-On-Swale St Mary's CofE Primary School cover?

Bolton-On-Swale St Mary's CofE Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Bolton-On-Swale St Mary's CofE Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 87% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Bolton-On-Swale St Mary's CofE Primary School?

Bolton-On-Swale St Mary's CofE Primary School is at Bolton-on-Swale, Richmond, North Yorkshire, DL10 6AQ.