Forwards Centre is an alternative provision academy in Bolton for children and young people aged 5 to 11.
- Ages 5–11
- 48 pupils
School details
- Type
- Alternative provision academy
- Ages
- 5 to 11
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 48 (places for 64)
- Headteacher
- Mrs Nicola Berry
- Part of
- The Bolton Impact Trust
- Opened
- 1 April 2016
- Free school meals
- 79.2% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Bolton
- School reference (URN)
- 142702
How to get a place
3 steps
- Talk to your child’s school or the council
Places in alternative provision are usually arranged by your child’s current school or Bolton council, rather than applied for directly.
- If your child has an EHC plan
The placement should be agreed through the plan, with you involved in the decision.
- Get free, independent advice
Your local SENDIASS can explain your options and come to meetings with you.
Questions to ask when you visit
8 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them on the day.
Ofsted
Graded by area, June 2025
Inspected in June 2025. Inspections from September 2024 to November 2025 graded each area but gave no overall grade.
- Quality of educationOutstanding
- Behaviour and attitudesOutstanding
- Personal developmentOutstanding
- Leadership and managementOutstanding
- SafeguardingEffective
Contact and getting there
Stephens Street, Bolton, BL2 5DX
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
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The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- Breightmet School Independent · Ages 5–18 · Ofsted: Requires improvement 0.3 miles
- Moorgate Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 2–11 · Ofsted: Outstanding 0.7 miles
- Firwood High School Special school · Ages 11–19 · Ofsted: Good 0.7 miles
By need in Bolton: Autism (12) · Severe learning (7) · Speech and language (6) · SEMH (4) · Moderate learning (4) · Physical (4) · PMLD (3) · Vision (3) · Dyslexia and SpLD (2) · Hearing (2)
Questions about Forwards Centre
How do I get a place at Forwards Centre?
Places at Forwards Centre are usually arranged by your child’s current school or Bolton council rather than applied for directly. If your child has an EHC plan, the placement should be agreed through it.
What ages does Forwards Centre take?
Aged 5 to 11, boys and girls.
What is Forwards Centre’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in June 2025 at its last graded inspection. Newer inspections no longer give a single overall grade, so read the latest report for the full picture.
Where is Forwards Centre?
Stephens Street, Bolton, BL2 5DX, in Bolton.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.