The Ferns Primary Academy

The Ferns Primary Academy at a glance

Located in Bolton, The Ferns Primary Academy is a primary school, classified by the DfE as a sponsor-led academy. The school educates roughly 450 pupils aged 3 to 11. 76% of its pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at the end of Key Stage 2, well above the national average (national figure: 61%). The proportion reaching the expected standard has fallen by 11.0 percentage points compared with the previous year. On our composite score, which combines the DfE attainment measures above, this places it in the top 21% of primary schools nationally.

Pupils achieved an average scaled score of 108 in reading and 108 in maths (national averages are about 105 and 104). 12% reached the higher standard across all three subjects (around 8% do so nationally). Getting a place is straightforward: for the September 2026 intake every family who made The Ferns Primary Academy their first choice was offered one of its 46 Reception places. Overall pupil absence was 5.2%. The school serves a community with above-average levels of disadvantage: about 38% of pupils have been eligible for free school meals in the last six years, compared with roughly 24% nationally — useful context when reading the results above. The Ferns Primary Academy does not currently have a recent graded Ofsted judgement on record (often the case for newer or recently converted schools), so it is worth asking when its next inspection is expected. This overview is generated automatically from the latest published DfE performance tables and Ofsted data; figures are rounded, and you can check the originals via the official links above.