Community school · Bolton

Cherry Tree Primary School

4–11Ages
408Pupils
PrimaryPhase
105187URN

Highfield Road, Farnworth, Bolton, BL4 0NS · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Report card · inspected Mar 2026

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement

Safeguarding standards met

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

70 applications for 45 places · 75th of 91 in Bolton

Every year since 2014

SATs · reading, writing and maths · 2024/25

44%met the expected standard

Bolton 66% England 64%

Reading, writing and maths

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Report card · inspected 24 March 2026Published 18 May 2026 · safeguarding standards met · no overall grade
Area	Exceptional	Expected standard	Needs attention
Inclusion		Expected standard
Curriculum and teaching		Expected standard
Achievement			Needs attention
Attendance and behaviour			Needs attention
Personal development and wellbeing		Expected standard
Early years		Expected standard
Post-16 provision	Does not apply to this school
Leadership and governance		Expected standard

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

Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

Inspection history

24 March 2026
Report card · 5 Expected standard, 2 Needs attention
7 December 2021
Graded inspection: 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)

70 applications · 45 places offered · 40 named it first

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

More applications per place than the Bolton median in 0 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	45	70	1.6	40	0.89
Sep 2025	46	82	1.8	45	0.98
Sep 2024	58	84	1.5	50	0.86
Sep 2023	46	83	1.8	43	0.93
Sep 2022	52	70	1.4	45	0.87
Sep 2021	41	69	1.7	39	0.95
Sep 2020	49	83	1.7	41	0.84
Sep 2019	53	88	1.7	50	0.94
Sep 2018	44	77	1.8	41	0.93
Sep 2017	56	89	1.6	41	0.73
Sep 2016	48	88	1.8	47	0.98
Sep 2015	59	97	1.6	49	0.83
Sep 2014	53	92	1.7	46	0.87

How did pupils do in SATs?

DfE KS2 · 2024/25

Reading 53% · Writing 47% · Maths 47% → all three 44% met the expected standard, End of Year 6

Reading, writing and maths: expected standard44%83rd of 87 in Bolton

Bolton 66% England 64%

Reading

Expected standard53%

Bolton 79% England 78%

Higher standard14%

Bolton 31% England 33%

Average scaled score 100 (100 = expected standard)

Writing

Expected standard47%

Bolton 77% England 75%

Greater depth4%

Bolton 15% England 12%

Maths

Expected standard47%

Bolton 78% England 77%

Higher standard18%

Bolton 26% England 24%

Average scaled score 99 (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	44%	2%	100	99
2023/24	52%	3%	104	102
2022/23	38%	2%	102	99

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

Cherry Tree Primary SchoolThis school
This school

2026

1.6applications per place 44%met the SATs standard
Highfield Primary School
0.7 km · Bolton

2026

1.8applications per place 66%met the SATs standard
Our Lady of Lourdes RC Primary School
0.9 km · Bolton

Graded · no overall grade2024

2.0applications per place 79%met the SATs standard
Wharton Primary School
1.2 km · Salford

Not yet inspected

1.4applications per place 62%met the SATs standard
Lever Edge Primary Academy
1.4 km · Bolton

Good2023

1.9applications per place 63%met the SATs standard
Dukesgate Academy
1.4 km · Salford

Remains Good2024

1.9applications per place 76%met the SATs standard
The Ferns Primary Academy
1.4 km · Bolton

2026

2.0applications per place 76%met the SATs standard
St Paul's Peel CofE Primary School
1.5 km · Salford

Graded · no overall grade2025

1.5applications per place 63%met the SATs standard
Essa Primary Academy
1.5 km · Bolton

Graded · no overall grade2024

2.6applications per place 66%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: 105187 · 350/2062
Capacity: 391 pupils · 408 on roll
Free school meals: 47.5% of pupils (England median 23%)
Address: Highfield Road, Farnworth, Bolton, BL4 0NS
Local authority: Bolton

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