St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Little Lever

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

Norris Street, Little Lever, Bolton, BL3 1BQOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Little Lever is a primary school in Bolton for ages 5 to 11. It is one of the 142 schools in Bolton. It ranks 79th of 86 primary schools in Bolton. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in October 2012.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 17 October 2012, report published 8 November 2012

Overall effectiveness
Good
Leadership and management
Good

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 1 March 2023

St Matthew's is a caring and nurturing school. Pupils and children in the early years love coming to school. They are happy and cheerful. Pupils are very well cared for by staff. Pupils are respectful to each other and to adults. Leaders and staff have high aspirations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils achieve well. Pupils said that they feel safe. They know that they can tell a trusted adult if they are worried about something. On the very rare occasions on which bullying occurs, leaders deal with it effectively. Leaders and staff have high expectations of pupils' behaviour. Pupils respond by behaving well around the school and in lessons. They support each other well during lessons. Pupils' talents are developed through a wide range of experiences. These include visits and trips to museums and the local library. They take part in many clubs, including arts and crafts, hockey and netball. Older pupils have opportunities to learn a range of musical instruments, such as drums, and to take part in music concerts. Members of the school choir spoke with enthusiasm about their performances at local and regional events. Pupils value the opportunity to take on responsibilities, such as being members of the school council, art council and librarians.

What the school should improve

  • In a small number of subjects, leaders have not identified clearly enough what knowledge they want pupils to learn. As a result, pupils do not learn some of the building blocks essential for future learning. Leaders should ensure that in these subjects, they carefully set out the knowledge that they want pupils to learn and remember.

Exam results

SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25

31 pupils took the tests

Expected standard in reading, writing and maths42%

42%, 20 percentage points below the England average of 62%.

Higher standard in reading, writing and maths3%

3%, 5 percentage points below the England average of 8%.

Reading, average scaled score102

102, 4 below the England average of 106.

Maths, average scaled score102

102, 3 below the England average of 105.

Grammar, punctuation and spelling, average scaled score101

101, 4 below the England average of 105.

Pupil numbers and mix

196 pupils on roll, with places for 210

Eligible for free school meals19.9%

19.9%, 6.6 percentage points below the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language5.1%

5.1%, 16.5 percentage points below the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support11.2%

11.2%, 3.6 percentage points below the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan2.6%

2.6%, 3.4 percentage points below the England average of 6%.

Schools near St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Little Lever

SchoolDistanceOfstedResults
St Teresa's RC Primary School a Voluntary Academy0.1 milesOfsted: GoodNot published
Mytham Primary School0.3 milesOfsted: Good56% met the expected standard
Bowness Primary School0.3 milesOfsted: Good86% met the expected standard
Masefield Primary School0.5 milesOfsted: Good84% met the expected standard
Blackshaw Primary School0.9 milesOfsted judgements: Good69% met the expected standard

School details

School type
Voluntary aided school
Sector
Local authority maintained
Age range
5 to 11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England
Nursery classes
No
Headteacher
Mr John Shawcross
Address
Norris Street, Little Lever, Bolton, BL3 1BQ
Local authority
Bolton
URN
105242

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.