The Valley Community Primary School

The Valley Community Primary School has been rated as outstanding overall, with exceptional performance across all areas except for early years provision, which is assessed as good. The school, which has not been inspected for 15 years due to exemption laws, has maintained high standards through well-established routines, a highly effective curriculum, and strong leadership. Pupils express pride in their school and demonstrate exemplary behaviour, positively engaging with the wide range of opportunities available to them. While the school excels in promoting high expectations and a deep enthusiasm for learning, there are noted areas for improvement within the early years curriculum that need more clarity to fully prepare children for the transition to key stage 1.

Strengths

• Outstanding quality of education across most areas.
• Pupils demonstrate exemplary behaviour and attitudes towards learning.
• High levels of enthusiasm for learning among pupils.
• Effective support for pupils with SEND, leading to exceptional achievement.
• Highly trained staff who identify and support additional needs effectively.
• Strong engagement from pupils in leadership roles.
• High-quality personal development opportunities for pupils.

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum clarity in some areas of the early years is lacking.

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 The Valley Community Primary School attended 96.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 4.1% 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 The Valley Community 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 The Valley Community Primary School had 22.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.8% 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, 12.8% of pupils at The Valley Community Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.5% 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 The Valley Community Primary School received £7,173 and spent £7,043 for each of its 501 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £248,000 (£496 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 Bolton · Bolton local authority: places and applications

What is The Valley Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Valley Community Primary School is Outstanding, from an inspection in November 2023.

When was The Valley Community Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

The Valley Community Primary School was last inspected in November 2023.

How many pupils does The Valley Community Primary School have?

The Valley Community Primary School has 538 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Valley Community Primary School cover?

The Valley Community Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are The Valley Community Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 83% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is The Valley Community Primary School?

The Valley Community Primary School is at Hibbert Street, Off Blackburn Road, Bolton, Lancashire, BL1 8JG.