Sponsored
Need storage for your move? Try Safestore — the No.1 storage company for choice in the UK.
Use our free interactive tool to check whether any Bolton property falls within primary or secondary school catchment zones. Bolton is a large metropolitan borough covering the town itself plus Horwich, Westhoughton, Farnworth and the villages north towards the West Pennine Moors, and catchment pressure varies considerably between them.
Free interactive map — enter any Bolton, Horwich, Westhoughton or Farnworth postcode and see exactly which catchment areas it falls within.
Bolton's higher-performing secondaries, particularly those serving the north of the borough around Bromley Cross and Astley Bridge, attract applications from well beyond their immediate area. That demand shortens the distance offered to the last child admitted, so proximity alone is not a guarantee.
Bolton Council is the admissions authority for community primary and secondary schools. After looked-after children, EHC-plan holders and siblings, places are normally allocated by straight-line distance from the home address to the school.
Note that Bolton School is an independent fee-paying school and sits outside the state admissions system. Bolton also has a number of academies and voluntary-aided faith schools that publish their own criteria.
Bolton Council publishes annual admissions information including the furthest distance offered at each oversubscribed school. Search 'Bolton school admissions' on the Bolton Council website.
Click "Open Free Tool" above. No registration needed. Works in any browser on desktop or mobile.
Click "Add School" and search by school name or postcode. The tool locates it on the interactive map automatically.
Add the radius from the school's admissions data. You can enter distances in metres for precision.
Use "Check Address" to test any Bolton address. It will show you exactly how far inside or outside the catchment that property sits.
Our tool works for schools across Bolton and surrounding areas:
Bolton measures straight-line distance to the metre. Our tool uses the same calculation.
See how Bolton catchments have shifted year on year before you commit to a property.
Plot up to 5 Bolton schools at once to see where catchment zones overlap across the borough.
Generate a shareable link for your estate agent or solicitor before exchange.
No. Bolton School is an independent fee-paying school with its own admissions process and is not allocated by catchment. This tool covers Bolton's state primary and secondary schools.
Schools serving Bromley Cross, Astley Bridge, Harwood and parts of Horwich are typically the most oversubscribed in the borough.
No. Bolton's state secondary schools are comprehensive and allocate places on published oversubscription criteria rather than an entrance test.
Search 'Bolton school admissions' on the Bolton Council website for the furthest distance offered at each oversubscribed school.
Our free tool works for all UK schools. We also have dedicated guides for other major cities:
Need storage for your move? Try Safestore — the No.1 storage company for choice in the UK.