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Academy converter · Bolton

Little Lever School

  • 11–16Ages
  • 1,085Pupils
  • SecondaryPhase
  • 142296URN

Church Street, Little Lever, Bolton, BL3 1BT · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school
Latest Ofsted

Report card · inspected May 2026

  • Exceptional
  • Strong standard
  • Expected standard
  • Needs attention
  • Urgent improvement

Safeguarding standards met

What Ofsted found
Applications per place · Sept 2026
1.5per place
0.5 below Bolton median (2.1)
Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther secondary schools in Bolton

356 applications for 231 places · 15th of 20 in Bolton
Every year since 2014
Attainment 8 · 2025/26 (provisional)
45.8of 90
9th of 20 in Bolton
All GCSE results

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026
Report card · inspected 19 May 2026Published 5 July 2026 · safeguarding standards met · no overall grade
AreaExceptionalStrong standardExpected standardNeeds attentionUrgent improvement
InclusionExpected standard
Curriculum and teachingStrong standard
AchievementExpected standard
Attendance and behaviourExpected standard
Personal development and wellbeingExpected standard
Early yearsDoes not apply to this school
Post-16 provisionDoes not apply to this school
Leadership and governanceExpected 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

  1. 19 May 2026
    Report card · 1 Strong standard, 5 Expected standard
  2. 8 March 2022
    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
1.5applications per place, Year 7
0.5 below Bolton median (2.1) 0.7 below England median (2.2)

356 applications · 231 places offered · 216 named it first

  1. 2026 1.5; Bolton median median 2.1
  2. 2025 1.6; Bolton median median 2.2
  3. 2024 1.7; Bolton median median 2.3
  4. 2023 1.8; Bolton median median 2.3
  5. 2022 1.6; Bolton median median 2.1
  6. 2021 1.8; Bolton median median 2.2
  7. 2020 2.0; Bolton median median 2.3
  8. 2019 1.7; Bolton median median 2.3
  9. 2018 1.8; Bolton median median 2.1
  10. 2017 1.5; Bolton median median 1.9
  11. 2016 1.6; Bolton median median 1.8
  12. 2015 1.5; Bolton median median 2.1; as the previous school
  13. 2014 1.5; Bolton median median 2.2; as the previous school
More applications per place than the Bolton median in 0 of 11 years.
  • This school
  • Bolton median

Dashed bars: as Little Lever School (URN 105256), the previous school.

Year 7 applications for September 2027 close 31 October 2026, 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.

EntryPlacesApplicationsPer placeFirst preferencesFirst-pref. ratio
Sep 20262313561.52160.94
Sep 20252383821.62080.87
Sep 20242364051.72531.07
Sep 20232173931.82481.14
Sep 20222143321.61900.89
Sep 20212143871.82311.08
Sep 20202074182.02411.16
Sep 20192083601.72081.00
Sep 20182043711.82291.12
Sep 20172063051.51870.91
Sep 20162053371.61930.94
Sep 2015 *1932981.51740.90
Sep 2014 *1462201.51210.83

How did pupils do at GCSE?

DfE KS4 · 2025/26 provisional

208 pupils took GCSEs in 2025/26.

Attainment 8 (out of 90)45.89th of 20 in Bolton
Grade 5 or above in English and maths57%6th of 20 in Bolton
Grade 4 or above in English and maths70%
  • This school
  • Bolton median
  • England median
Progress 8 (2023/24, the latest published)+0.13
−20 = national average+2
Every year as a table
YearPupilsAttainment 85+ Eng & maths4+ Eng & mathsProgress 8
2025/26 (prov.)20845.857%70%–
2024/2520346.257%67%–
2023/2420645.849%66%+0.13
2022/2320744.441%64%+0.09

Progress 8 is not published for 2024/25 or 2025/26: those pupils had no key stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021.

Schools nearby

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

  • 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
Academy converter
Phase
Secondary
URN · DfE number
142296 · 350/4044
Trust
Lever Academy Trust
Admissions policy
Non-selective
Capacity
1,050 pupils · 1,085 on roll
Free school meals
29.5% of pupils (England median 23%)
Opened
1 December 2015
Replaced
Little Lever School (URN 105256)
Address
Church Street, Little Lever, Bolton, BL3 1BT
Local authority
Bolton

Data last changed 19 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources