Schools in Bolton

Bolton has 148 schools, almost all (143) within Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council. The borough stretches from Farnworth and Kearsley in the south to Horwich and Westhoughton in the west, and Turton and Belmont in the north. Bolton MBC coordinates admissions for community schools; faith schools - particularly Roman Catholic and Church of England - apply their own criteria.

Popular schools in the Lostock, Heaton and Smithills areas see strong demand, with distance tiebreakers occasionally below a mile at the most oversubscribed primaries. At secondary level, Bolton's school landscape includes academies, faith schools and a grammar - the Bolton School, a selective independent, attracts applicants from across the borough.

Bolton MBC publishes the composite prospectus each September, detailing oversubscription criteria and previous distance offered for all community schools. Families applying to faith schools should also submit the school's own supplementary information form (SIF) to be considered under faith criteria.