St Mary's RC Primary School

  • Primary
  • Local authority maintained
  • Ages 5 to 11
Ofsted: Good

Victoria Road, Horwich, St Mary's Rc Primary School, Horwich, BL6 6EPOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

St Mary's RC Primary School is a primary school in Horwich for ages 5 to 11. It is one of the 142 schools in Bolton. It ranks 69th of 87 primary schools in Bolton. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in March 2020.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 3 March 2020, report published 12 May 2020

Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Early years provision
Good
Safeguarding
Met

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 11 March 2025

Pupils are proud to attend this happy school. The warm and welcoming culture helps children in the early years to settle in and quickly make new friends. Older pupils value 'bubble time' sessions, where they talk to trusted adults if they have any worries or problems. Pupils across the school flourish and grow in confidence. Pupils work and play together harmoniously. For example, Year 6 pupils value their roles as buddies, where they support children in the Reception Year at breaktimes. They enjoy gaining awards for showing resilience and for being kind towards others. The school encourages pupils to aim high and to give their best. Most pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), eagerly rise to meet the school's high expectations for their learning. They achieve well in a range of subjects. Pupils fulfil their many leadership roles with great diligence and pride. They make an exceptional contribution to their school and the wider community. For instance, pupils regularly lead assemblies and organise many fundraising activities. They enjoy helping other pupils learn about issues such as road safety and the importance of looking after the environment.

What the school should improve

  • In some subjects, the school's work to connect earlier learning with new content is at an earlier stage of development. This means that some staff do not know the most important concepts to revisit over time. As a result, this hampers some pupils in building on earlier learning and developing a strong body of knowledge. The school should finalise its work in this area so that pupils deepen their learning in the longer term.
  • Some of the support for pupils with SEND is not as effective as it could be. This hinders some pupils from progressing as well through the curriculum as they could. The school should review its systems so that pupils with SEND are even better supported to learn all that they can.

Exam results

SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25

32 pupils took the tests

Expected standard in reading, writing and maths56%

56%, 6 percentage points below the England average of 62%.

Higher standard in reading, writing and maths6%

6%, 2 percentage points below the England average of 8%.

Reading, average scaled score105

105, 1 below the England average of 106.

Maths, average scaled score103

103, 2 below the England average of 105.

Grammar, punctuation and spelling, average scaled score107

107, 2 above the England average of 105.

Pupil numbers and mix

214 pupils on roll, with places for 218

Eligible for free school meals15%

15%, 11.5 percentage points below the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language6.1%

6.1%, 15.5 percentage points below the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support12.1%

12.1%, 2.7 percentage points below the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan1.9%

1.9%, 4.1 percentage points below the England average of 6%.

Schools near St Mary's RC Primary School

SchoolDistanceOfstedResults
Chorley New Road Primary Academy0.1 milesOfsted: Good60% met the expected standard
Horwich Parish CofE Primary School0.6 milesReport card: Expected standard73% met the expected standard
Claypool Primary School0.6 milesReport card: Needs attention to expected standard34% met the expected standard
St Catherine's CofE Primary School0.9 milesOfsted: Good62% met the expected standard
Beacon Primary School1 mileOfsted: Good36% met the expected standard

School details

School type
Voluntary aided school
Sector
Local authority maintained
Age range
5 to 11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic
Nursery classes
No
Headteacher
Mrs Dominique Hayes
Address
Victoria Road, Horwich, St Mary's Rc Primary School, Horwich, BL6 6EP
Local authority
Bolton
URN
105250

School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.