Contested schools in Bolton

These are the Bolton schools that turned first-choice families away in at least one of the last three years — either because more families named them first than they had places, or because they refused families who named them first anyway. Figures shown are for 2026/27. Demand is not a forecast: an oversubscribed school turns more families away, which is not the same as their appeals succeeding more often.

Appeal success rates for Bolton

Secondary schools (14)

Each has its own page with a 12-year demand history.

Contested secondary schools in Bolton, 2026/27
School	Places	First choices	Per place
Eden Boys' School, Bolton	116	192	1.66
St James's Church of England High School	197	315	1.60
Sharples School	235	344	1.46
Bolton Muslim Girls School	177	228	1.29
Essa Academy	200	222	1.11
St Joseph's RC High School	205	218	1.06
Rivington and Blackrod High School	278	280	1.01
Canon Slade School	293	294	1
Turton School	259	252	0.97
Little Lever School	231	216	0.94
Thornleigh Salesian College	260	241	0.93
Ladybridge High School	230	211	0.92
Mount St Joseph RC High School a Voluntary Academy	174	143	0.82
King's Leadership Academy Bolton	176	129	0.73

Primary schools (44)

Primary schools are listed here as figures rather than pages. Most refusals at the Reception intake are infant class size cases, where a panel can only act on three narrow grounds and fewer than one in ten appeals succeeds — so the honest thing to publish is the data, not a page inviting an appeal.

Contested primary schools in Bolton, 2026/27
School	Places	First choices	Per place
Moorgate Primary School	26	64	2.46
Masefield Primary School	29	60	2.07
Beaumont Primary School	30	56	1.87
The Olive School, Bolton	60	108	1.80
Lostock Primary School	30	41	1.37
Bolton Parish Church, Church of England Primary School	30	40	1.33
Heathfield Primary School	30	40	1.33
St Bartholomew's CofE Primary School	30	39	1.30
Eatock Primary School	30	38	1.27
Markland Hill Primary School	42	53	1.26
Blackrod Anglican/Methodist Primary School	29	35	1.21
Oxford Grove Primary School	59	71	1.20
St Paul's CofE Primary School, Astley Bridge	30	36	1.20
St Saviour CofE Primary School, Ringley	30	36	1.20
All Saints CofE Primary School	30	35	1.17
The Olive Tree Primary School Bolton	60	69	1.15
Queensbridge Primary School	28	32	1.14
Sunning Hill Primary School	60	68	1.13
St George's CofE Primary School	30	33	1.10
The Valley Community Primary School	60	65	1.08
Chorley New Road Primary Academy	45	48	1.07
Egerton Primary School	28	30	1.07
Our Lady of Lourdes RC Primary School	30	32	1.07
St Peter's Smithills Dean Church of England Primary School	30	32	1.07
The Gates Primary School	30	32	1.07
Blackshaw Primary School	28	29	1.04
Spindle Point Primary School	30	31	1.03
St Mary's RC Primary School	29	30	1.03
Kearsley West Primary School	27	27	1
St Peter's CofE Primary School	57	57	1
Blackrod Primary School	45	44	0.98
Walmsley CofE Primary School	20	19	—
Claypool Primary School	30	28	0.93
St Columba's RC Primary School	30	28	0.93
St Michael's CofE Primary School, Great Lever	59	55	0.93
St Thomas CofE Primary School	30	28	0.93
Lever Edge Primary Academy	57	52	0.91
Pikes Lane Primary School	54	49	0.91
Mytham Primary School	30	27	0.90
The Oaks Primary School	30	26	0.87
Devonshire Road Primary School	59	51	0.86
St Thomas C of E Primary School, Halliwell	41	35	0.85
St Catherine's CofE Primary School	28	23	0.82
Castle Hill Primary School	29	22	0.76

Department for Education, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, school-level file, 2026/27. Appeal outcomes are not published for individual schools — how we source and calculate the figures.