Community school · Bolton

Gaskell Community Primary School

3–11Ages
472Pupils
PrimaryPhase
105155URN

Thomas Holden Street, Bolton, BL1 2QG · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Graded inspection · Jan 2025 Previous framework

No overall grade given

Quality of education
Behaviour and attitudes
Personal development
Leadership and management

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

1.6per place

0.4 below Bolton median (2.0)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther primary schools in Bolton

90 applications for 58 places · 76th of 91 in Bolton

Every year since 2014

SATs · reading, writing and maths · 2024/25

79%met the expected standard

Bolton 66% England 64%

Reading, writing and maths

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Graded inspection · 14 January 2025Ofsted's previous 4-point scale (to August 2024). Between September 2024 and November 2025 Ofsted graded areas but gave no overall grade.
Area	Outstanding	Good	Requires improvement	Inadequate
Quality of education		Good
Behaviour and attitudes		Good
Personal development		Good
Leadership and management		Good
Early years provision		Good

Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades

About these grades

Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.

How hard is it to get a place?

DfE · Sept 2026 entry

1.6applications per place, Reception

0.4 below Bolton median (2.0) 0.6 below England median (2.2)

90 applications · 58 places offered · 56 named it first

2026 1.6; Bolton median median 2.0
2025 1.5; Bolton median median 2.0
2024 1.6; Bolton median median 2.1
2023 1.4; Bolton median median 1.9
2022 1.6; Bolton median median 2.1
2021 1.7; Bolton median median 2.1
2020 1.6; Bolton median median 2.2
2019 2.0; Bolton median median 2.1
2018 2.1; Bolton median median 2.1
2017 1.8; Bolton median median 2.0
2016 1.7; Bolton median median 2.1
2015 2.5; Bolton median median 2.2
2014 1.8; Bolton median median 2.1

More applications per place than the Bolton median in 1 of 13 years.

This school
Bolton median

Reception applications for September 2027 close 15 January 2027, through your council

How this is measured

Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.

Entry	Places	Applications	Per place	First preferences	First-pref. ratio
Sep 2026	58	90	1.6	56	0.97
Sep 2025	52	78	1.5	48	0.92
Sep 2024	60	97	1.6	52	0.87
Sep 2023	53	74	1.4	48	0.91
Sep 2022	46	72	1.6	46	1.00
Sep 2021	47	78	1.7	41	0.87
Sep 2020	56	90	1.6	56	1.00
Sep 2019	36	73	2.0	34	0.94
Sep 2018	45	96	2.1	54	1.20
Sep 2017	32	57	1.8	31	0.97
Sep 2016	39	65	1.7	34	0.87
Sep 2015	33	82	2.5	32	0.97
Sep 2014	32	57	1.8	29	0.91

How did pupils do in SATs?

DfE KS2 · 2024/25

Reading 89% · Writing 80% · Maths 89% → all three 79% met the expected standard, End of Year 6

Reading, writing and maths: expected standard79%12th of 87 in Bolton

Bolton 66% England 64%

Reading

Expected standard89%

Bolton 79% England 78%

Higher standard21%

Bolton 31% England 33%

Average scaled score 106 (100 = expected standard)

Writing

Expected standard80%

Bolton 77% England 75%

Greater depth18%

Bolton 15% England 12%

Maths

Expected standard89%

Bolton 78% England 77%

Higher standard39%

Bolton 26% England 24%

Average scaled score 108 (100 = expected standard)

This school
Bolton median
England median

Every year as a table

Year	Expected standard	Higher standard	Reading score	Maths score
2024/25	79%	11%	106	108
2023/24	71%	7%	104	107
2022/23	65%	5%	103	105

Subject results are published for the latest year only. Scaled scores run from 80 to 120.

Schools nearby

The 8 nearest primary schools in a straight line, in any local authority

Gaskell Community Primary SchoolThis school
This school

Graded · no overall grade2025

1.6applications per place 79%met the SATs standard
St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Bolton
0.5 km · Bolton

Remains Good2023

1.1applications per place 47%met the SATs standard
The Olive School, Bolton
0.6 km · Bolton

Standards maintained2025

3.1applications per place 95%met the SATs standard
Brownlow Fold Primary School
0.6 km · Bolton

2026

2.3applications per place 53%met the SATs standard
Oxford Grove Primary School
0.9 km · Bolton

Outstanding2023

3.0applications per place 80%met the SATs standard
St Joseph's RC Primary School, Halliwell, Bolton
0.9 km · Bolton

Standards maintained2024

2.2applications per place 61%met the SATs standard
St Thomas C of E Primary School, Halliwell
0.9 km · Bolton

2026

1.8applications per place 50%met the SATs standard
The Valley Community Primary School
1.0 km · Bolton

Outstanding2023

2.0applications per place 83%met the SATs standard
Gilnow Primary School
1.2 km · Bolton

2026

1.7applications per place 53%met the SATs standard

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Does not apply

Eight dots, one per area: inclusion, curriculum, achievement, attendance, personal development, early years, post-16, leadership. Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

School details

Type: Community school
Phase: Primary
URN · DfE number: 105155 · 350/2014
Capacity: 420 pupils · 472 on roll
Free school meals: 36.2% of pupils (England median 23%)
Nursery: Has nursery classes
Address: Thomas Holden Street, Bolton, BL1 2QG
Local authority: Bolton

Data last changed 3 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources