Beacon Primary School

Beacon Primary School has demonstrated good overall performance in its first inspection since converting to an academy. The school fosters a positive environment where both pupils and staff feel proud to be part of the community. With strong leadership and a well-organized curriculum, pupils achieve well across many subjects, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school emphasizes high expectations and effective strategies for learning and behaviour management, contributing to pupils' safety and well-being.

Strengths

• High expectations for all pupils, including those with SEND.
• Strong curriculum organization that supports learning progression.
• Effective teaching strategies that help pupils build a rich knowledge base.
• Strong emphasis on reading fluency and early phonics instruction.
• Pupils demonstrate exceptional manners and respect towards others.
• Wide range of extra-curricular activities engaging all pupils.

Areas for Improvement

• Some subjects have a relatively new curriculum implementation.
• Occasional lack of teacher confidence in delivering some curriculum aspects.
• Some pupils do not retain learning as well as they should in certain subjects.

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 Beacon Primary School attended 91.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 31.1% 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, 3.6% of pupils at Beacon 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 Beacon Primary School had 19.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 20.0% 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, 19.6% of pupils at Beacon Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.3% 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 2024–25 Beacon Primary School received £7,369 and spent £7,433 for each of its 212 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £92,000 (£434 per pupil).

Across all 15 schools of Forward As One Church of England Multi Academy Trust, income was £7,286 and spending £7,417 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Bolton · Bolton local authority: places and applications

Beacon Primary School is part of Forward As One Church of England Multi Academy Trust, which runs 17 schools. The nearest others:

• St Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School Bolton
• St Paul's CofE Primary School, Astley Bridge Bolton
• Greenhill Primary School Bury
• Gorsefield Primary School Manchester
• St Paul's Church of England Primary School Bury
• Middleton Parish Church School Manchester
• St John With St Michael Church of England Primary School Rochdale
• St John's Church of England Primary School Manchester
• St Thomas' Church of England Primary School Rochdale
• St Stephen's CofE Primary School Manchester

What is Beacon Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Beacon Primary School is Good, from an inspection in May 2023.

When was Beacon Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Beacon Primary School was last inspected in May 2023.

How many pupils does Beacon Primary School have?

Beacon Primary School has 209 pupils on roll.

What age range does Beacon Primary School cover?

Beacon Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Beacon Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 36% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Beacon Primary School?

Beacon Primary School is at Peter Martin Street, Horwich, Bolton, Greater Manchester, BL6 7AL.