Primary
The Ferns Primary Academy
Plodder Lane, Farnworth, Bolton, BL4 0DA
Key facts
- Phase
- Primary
- Type
- Academy sponsor led
- Ages
- 3 to 11
- Intake
- Mixed
- Pupils
- 445 of 420 places
- Pupils per teacher
- 32.2
- Local authority
- Bolton
- Nursery
- Yes
- Trust
- NORTHERN EDUCATION TRUST
Staffing23/24
- Teachers (FTE)
- 13.8
- All staff (FTE)
- 22.3
- Pupils per adult
- 20.0
- Pupils
- 445
Staff are counted as full-time equivalents in the November school workforce census, so the pupil figure here is that census’s own and will differ a little from the roll above, which is counted in January.
Ofsted
Last inspected January 2026
- AchievementStrong standard
- Attendance and behaviourExpected standard
- Curriculum and teachingStrong standard
- Early yearsStrong standard
- InclusionExpected standard
- Leadership and governanceStrong standard
- Personal development and wellbeingStrong standard
SafeguardingMet
Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)Earlier inspections1
July 2021
Ungraded inspection
Good
Read the report (opens in a new tab)
SATs results
76%
10 points above the Bolton average (66% across 89 schools)
108.0
2.6 above the Bolton average (105.4 across 89 schools)
32nd of 89 by our score, among the primary schools in Bolton we can score - 103 in total, the rest without enough published data. Local and same-phase on purpose: a national table mostly measures who attends.
All published measures2024/2025
| Measure | Result |
|---|---|
| Average maths score | 108 |
| Average reading score | 108 |
| Reading, writing and maths | 76% |
| Working at a higher standard | 12% |
From the Department for Education. Measures are published per year and suppressed where a cohort is too small, so some schools show fewer. There are no results for 2019/20 or 2020/21, when exams and assessments were cancelled.
Results over time3 years
Each measure on its own scale, over every year we hold.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 22/23 | 75% |
| 23/24 | 87% |
| 24/25 | 76% |
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 22/23 | 105.0 |
| 23/24 | 107.0 |
| 24/25 | 108.0 |
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 22/23 | 107.0 |
| 23/24 | 106.0 |
| 24/25 | 108.0 |
Plodder Lane, Farnworth, Bolton, BL4 0DA
Admissions
How to apply (opens in a new tab)
You apply through your council, not the school - even for academies and free schools. Applications close on 15 January, the year before starting.
Bolton admissions (opens in a new tab)
The council publishes the oversubscription criteria and last year’s offer distances, which is the closest thing to knowing your chances.
If you are refused a place (opens in a new tab)
You can appeal, and you can join a waiting list at the same time. Accept whatever offer you get first - declining it can leave you with no place at all.
This school’s own admissions (opens in a new tab)
Schools that set their own criteria - faith schools, grammars, academies - publish them on their own site.
Contact
- Principal
- Sarah Hambley
- Address
- Plodder Lane, Farnworth, Bolton, BL4 0DA
- Telephone
- 01204471277