Bolton St Catherine's Academy is a mainstream all-through school with an SEN unit and resourced provision in Bolton for children and young people aged 2 to 16. Its specialist base takes children for specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia), speech, language and communication, autism and social, emotional and mental health.
- Ages 2–16
- 1,003 pupils
School details
- Type
- Mainstream school with an SEN unit and resourced provision
- Ages
- 2 to 16
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Specialist base
- An SEN unit and resourced provision, 268 pupils
- Pupils
- 1,003
- Headteacher
- Mr Gareth Watson
- Part of
- The Bishop Fraser Trust
- Faith
- Church of England
- Council
- Bolton
- School reference (URN)
- 145314
Needs its base supports
5 needs: dyslexia and SpLD, speech and language and 3 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
- Autism Other schools for this in Bolton (11)
- Speech, language and communication Other schools for this in Bolton (5)
Cognition and learning
- Specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia) Other schools for this in Bolton (1)
- Moderate learning difficulty Other schools for this in Bolton (3)
Social, emotional and mental health
- Social, emotional and mental health Other schools for this in Bolton (3)
How to get a place
4 steps, starting with an EHC plan
- An EHC plan
Places in an SEN unit or resourced provision are usually for children with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. If your child doesn’t have one yet, you can ask the council for an assessment yourself.
- Visit and ask about the base
See the school and its specialist base, and ask how children split their time between the base and mainstream classes.
- Ask for the school to be named
Tell the council that looks after the plan (often Bolton council) that you want this school and its base, and ask them to consult it.
- Named in the plan
If the school is named in your child’s plan, it must admit your child. Places in the base itself are agreed between the council and the school, so ask how they decide.
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, March 2025
Inspected in March 2025. Inspections from September 2024 to November 2025 graded each area but gave no overall grade.
- Quality of educationRequires improvement
- Behaviour and attitudesGood
- Personal developmentGood
- Leadership and managementGood
- Early yearsGood
- SafeguardingEffective
Contact and getting there
Stitch MI Lane, Bolton, BL2 4HU
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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
- Firwood High School Special school · Ages 11–19 · Ofsted: Good 0.0 miles
- Forwards Centre Alternative provision · Ages 5–11 0.7 miles
- Breightmet School Independent · Ages 5–18 · Ofsted: Requires improvement 0.8 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 Bolton St Catherine's Academy
How do I get a place in Bolton St Catherine's Academy’s specialist base?
Places in an SEN unit or resourced provision usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan: ask the council that looks after the plan to consult the school about its base. If the school is named in the plan it must admit your child; places in the base itself are agreed between the council and the school.
What needs does Bolton St Catherine's Academy support?
Specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia), speech, language and communication, autism, social, emotional and mental health and moderate learning difficulty. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Bolton St Catherine's Academy take?
Aged 2 to 16, boys and girls.
What is Bolton St Catherine's Academy’s Ofsted rating?
There’s no overall grade to show. Read the school’s latest inspection report on the Ofsted website.
Where is Bolton St Catherine's Academy?
Stitch MI Lane, Bolton, BL2 4HU, 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.