The Ferns Primary Academy is a primary school in Bolton, serving pupils aged 3 to 11. The school is a academy sponsor led and operates as a mixed school. It follows a not applicable admissions policy. It does not have a designated religious character, which may suit families looking for a non-faith school.
The Ferns Primary Academy currently has around 450 pupils on roll, which is about 107% of its capacity. The gender split is relatively balanced, with approximately 50.2% boys and 49.8% girls. Around 36.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which gives an indication of the socio-economic mix. The student population reflects a mixed community across different backgrounds and needs.
Overall absence at the school is 5.2%. Persistent absence is recorded at 14.5%.
The majority of pupils are from a white british background (50.4%). pakistani pupils make up about 28.9%
At its latest Ofsted inspection, the school was rated Good. This suggests the school is performing well overall. Safeguarding was judged to be effective, which is a key consideration for many parents.
| Address: | Plodder Lane, Bolton, BL4 0DA |
| Website: | https://tfa.northerneducationtrust.org/ |
| Telephone: | 01204471277 |
| School Type: | Academy sponsor led |
| Education phase: | Primary |
| Local authority: | Bolton |
| Headteacher / Principal: | Mrs Sarah Hambley |
| Religious character: | Does not apply |
| Admissions policy: | Not applicable |
| Unique reference: | 138399 |
Ofsted inspection date: 08/06/2016
Safeguarding is effective
| Age Range: | 3 - 11 |
| Gender: | Mixed |
| School Capacity: | 420 |
| Number of Pupils: | 450 |
| Number of Boys: | 226 |
| Number of Girls: | 224 |
| School | England state-funded schools: | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall absence: | 5.2% | 4% |
| Persistent absence: | 14.5% | 8.2% |
| White British | 50.40% | 227 |
| Pakistani | 28.90% | 130 |
| Indian | 3.80% | 17 |
| Other Mixed | 2.90% | 13 |
| Other (any other ethnic group) | 2.70% | 12 |
| Other Asian | 2.40% | 11 |
| African | 2.40% | 11 |
| Other White | 1.80% | 8 |
| Bangladeshi | 1.60% | 7 |
| Unclassified | 1.30% | 6 |
| Other Black | 0.90% | 4 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 0.20% | 1 |
| White and Black African | 0.20% | 1 |
| Chinese | 0.20% | 1 |
| Caribbean | 0.20% | 1 |
| Gypsy/Roma | 0.00% | 0 |
| White and Asian | 0.00% | 0 |
| Irish | 0.00% | 0 |
| Irish Traveller (Traveller of Irish heritage) | 0.00% | 0 |
Progress scores show how pupils performed compared with pupils nationally who had similar prior attainment. Scores above 0 are better than average; below 0 are worse than average.
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgewater Nursery School Dobhill Street , Farnworth BL4 7DU | - not rated | 798 yd | Local authority nursery school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| The Orchards Nursery School Lower Orchards , Highfield Road BL4 0RA | 3out of 4 | 1,617 yd | Local authority nursery school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Grosvenor Nursery School and Day Care Centre Lord Street , Kearsley BL4 8AR | 4out of 4 | 1,637 yd | Local authority nursery school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Little Hulton Community Nursery Centre Longshaw Drive , Worsley M28 0BD | - not rated | 2,577 yd | Local authority nursery school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Magnalls Fold Community Nursery Centre Mayfield Avenue , Worsley M28 3JF | - not rated | 3,267 yd | Local authority nursery school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plodder Lane Primary School Plodder Lane , Farnworth BL4 0DA | - not rated | 0 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| The Ferns Primary Academy Plodder Lane , Farnworth BL4 0DA | 3out of 4 | 0 yd | Academy sponsor led | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Queensbridge Primary School St Germain Street , Farnworth BL4 7BL | 3out of 4 | 482 yd | Community school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Our Lady of Lourdes RC Primary School Beech Avenue , Farnworth BL4 0BP | - not rated | 626 yd | Voluntary aided school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| St James CofE Primary School, Farnworth Hillside Avenue , Farnworth BL4 9QB | - not rated | 765 yd | Voluntary controlled school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harper Green School Harper Green Road , Farnworth BL4 0DH | 3out of 4 | 165 yd | Academy converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Harper Green School Harper Green Road , Farnworth BL4 0DH | - not rated | 165 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| St James's Church of England High School Lucas Road , Farnworth BL4 9RU | 3out of 4 | 749 yd | Academy converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| St James's Church of England High School Lucas Road , Farnworth BL4 9RU | - not rated | 749 yd | Voluntary aided school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Mount St Joseph Greenland Road , BL4 0HT | - not rated | 1,081 yd | Voluntary aided school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South College, Bolton Lever Edge Lane , BL3 3HH | - not rated | 2,725 yd | Further education | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed Exclusion Unit George Street , Farnworth BL4 9RJ | - not rated | 635 yd | Pupil referral unit | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Compass Centre South King Street , Farnworth Youth Centre BL4 7AP | - not rated | 999 yd | Pupil referral unit | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| TLG Bolton Concorde House , 2 Frederick Street BL4 9AL | - not rated | 1,369 yd | Other independent school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Lord's School Brooklyn , Green Lane BL3 2EF | - not rated | 1,485 yd | Other independent school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Green Fold School Highfield Road , Farnworth BL4 0NS | 4out of 4 | 1,617 yd | Community special school | No | Mixed | More About School |
School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.