Primary school in Bolton
The Gates Primary School
Bristle Hall Way, Westhoughton, Bolton, Lancashire, BL5 3QA
Ofsted
Remained Good at its last ungraded inspection, on 21 September 2023.
Ofsted stopped awarding single-word overall grades in September 2024. This grade is 2 years old and will not be updated — the school keeps it until its next inspection, which will not produce a replacement grade.
Key stage 2 results 2024/25
Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Reached the higher standard
Average reading score
Average maths score
On the headline measure this school is in the top 10% of state-funded primaries in England.
Compared with the fifth of schools whose intake is least disadvantaged, which is where this one sits, it is in the top quarter.
There are no progress measures for primary schools any more. They were calculated from a key stage 1 baseline, and statutory key stage 1 tests ended in 2023, so nothing has been published since. That makes attainment the only official measure — and attainment tracks intake closely, which is why the comparison against similar schools above is the more useful of the two lines.
Pupils
- Pupils on roll
- 290
- Places
- 311
- How full
- 93% full — 290 of 311 places taken
- Girls / boys
- 148 / 142
- Overall absence
- 4%
- Persistently absent
- 11%
primary schools average 5.2%
primary schools average 12.8% — pupils missing 10% or more of sessions
- Free school meals, last 6 years
- 20%
- English as an additional language
- 8%
- With an EHC plan
- 4%
- On SEN support
- 14%
England 25.7%
England 18.7%
England 3.5%
England 15%
The neighbourhood around the school
Census 2021 figures for Bolton 031A, the statistical neighbourhood the school sits in — roughly 1,500 residents. It describes the area, not the pupils, who may travel in from further away.
- Adults with a degree
- 26%
- Adults with no qualifications
- 20%
- Households owning their home
- 60%
- Households in social housing
- 15%
- Households with no car
- 18%
- Adults economically inactive
- 34%
England 33.8%
England 18.3%
England 62.7%
England 17%
England 21.9%
England 39.9%
School details
- Type
- Community school
- Phase
- Primary
- Ages
- Ages 3–11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- None
- Sixth form
- No
- Nursery
- Yes
- Boarding
- Day school
- Headteacher
- Headteacher: Sean Doherty
- Local authority
- Bolton
- Ward
- Westhoughton North & Hunger Hill
- Constituency
- Bolton West
- URN
- 133926
The unique reference number used in all official school data.
Nearest primary schools
| School | Ofsted | Expected standard | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school | Outstanding 2024 | 74% | 0.3 mi |
| St Bartholomew's CofE Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school | No grade | 63% | 0.6 mi |
| St Thomas CofE Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school | No grade | 78% | 0.9 mi |
| Woodland Primary AcademyAcademy converter | Good 2020 | — | 1 mi |
| Eatock Primary SchoolCommunity school | Outstanding 2024 | 70% | 1.2 mi |
| St George's CofE Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school | No grade | 60% | 1.3 mi |
| St James CofE Primary School, Daisy HillVoluntary controlled school | Good 2024 | 65% | 1.6 mi |
| Lostock Primary SchoolAcademy converter | Outstanding 2024 | — | 1.7 mi |
Schools with a similar intake
State-funded primary schools nationally whose share of disadvantaged pupils is closest to this school's. This is the fairest like-for-like comparison the published data supports.
| School | Ofsted | Expected standard |
|---|---|---|
| Gordon Primary SchoolCommunity school | Good 2023 | 82% |
| Stillness Junior SchoolCommunity school | No grade | 83% |
| Furzedown Primary SchoolCommunity school | Good 2022 | 68% |
| Bishop Winnington-Ingram CofE Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school | No grade | 41% |
| Grand Avenue Primary and Nursery SchoolCommunity school | No grade | 73% |
| St Mary's Catholic Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school | Good 2021 | 75% |
| Nightingale Primary SchoolCommunity school | Good 2023 | 79% |
| Sheen Mount Primary SchoolCommunity school | Good 2022 | 82% |
Where these figures come from
- School details, address and pupil numbers — Get Information About Schools, the DfE register, as at 14 August 2026.
- Exam results — DfE performance tables, 2024/25.
- Free school meals, EAL and SEN — school census, 2024/25.
- Ofsted — Ofsted management information, latest inspections as at 30 June 2026.
- Neighbourhood figures — ONS Census 2021, lower layer super output area.
All published under the Open Government Licence v3.0. If something here looks wrong, the school's own website is the authority on admissions and open days.