On Green Lane in Smithills, the defining feature is scale: the published capacity is 70, which puts Lord’s School in a very different category from most all-through settings. If you are looking for a place where staff can keep the whole school in their head, this kind of smallness changes the day-to-day experience.
Lord’s School is an independent all-through school for boys and girls aged 7 to 18 in Bolton, Greater Manchester. It is non-selective and has no formal religious character. The most recent Ofsted inspection rated the school Inadequate.
Golden Tickets and a Head Teacher’s Award tell you something about how the school tries to motivate pupils and students: notice good work, reward it quickly, and keep the system simple enough that it stays consistent. There is also a tuck shop element built into the rewards, which makes the recognition feel immediate rather than abstract.
The other defining element is the way a very small school can feel both safer and more exposing, depending on the child. For pupils who do better when adults intervene early, small numbers can be a relief. For children who want to blend into the background socially, there is less space to disappear. The upside is that routines are easier to tailor and relationships can be steadier; the trade-off is that friendship groups are narrower, and a clash in a tiny year group can feel bigger.
Lord’s School also presents itself as an inclusive setting, including for children with additional needs, and it frames belonging as something actively built rather than assumed. That matters if you are choosing the school because mainstream education has not been working; the tone here is about rebuilding confidence, then rebuilding habits.
The headline, from a data point of view, is that GCSE outcomes sit low in the published measures. Ranked 4,261st in England and 25th in Bolton for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), the school falls below England average on this measure.
There is an important nuance to the way Lord’s School talks about examinations: it highlights that pupils do not necessarily sit all GCSE subjects in the same series, and that it welcomes some students who arrive with disrupted schooling or significant anxiety. For families, that framing can be reassuring if you need a second chance setting. It also means you should read any single-year headline carefully and focus on what your child is likely to study, how they will be supported, and what the school’s plan is for English and maths alongside everything else.
When you are comparing local schools, this is a good moment to use FindMySchool’s local comparison tools to keep the context clear: the ranking gives a broad signal, but fit and support can matter just as much when cohorts are small.
England ranks and key metrics (where available)
GCSE 9–7
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% of students achieving grades 9-7
One concrete clue to the teaching model is the way the school describes learning resources and sequencing: students are encouraged to review lessons and topics before they are taught in person, then use in-class time to consolidate. That approach can suit students who like structure and repetition, and it can help those who need the pace slowed down without turning every lesson into a one-to-one.
Small class sizes are positioned as central rather than a marketing extra. The practical implication is that teaching can be more responsive, but it also places a premium on the quality of planning and on consistent subject knowledge across a small staff team. When it works, pupils can get quick feedback and frequent course-correction; when it does not, gaps show up fast because there are fewer parallel teachers to balance things out.
Curriculum information is published by year group, which is useful for parents: you can see what sits where, and whether the pattern looks suitably broad for Key Stage 3 before GCSE choices narrow it down. For older students, the school also talks about GCSE retakes in English and maths, alongside routes onwards to A-level study or equivalent qualifications.
Careers education is framed through the Gatsby Benchmarks, and the school describes a structured approach from Year 7 onwards, including activities that link subjects to future pathways. It also references external careers support, alongside internal events such as talks, mock interviews and careers-fair style activity.
For an all-through school this small, the transition points matter. The internal move from primary into secondary can feel smoother simply because the environment is familiar and expectations are consistent. At post-16, the picture is more individual. Some students will stay because they want continuity, a smaller setting, and support with retakes or rebuilding confidence. Others will prefer the breadth and social scale of a larger sixth form or college, especially if they are chasing a wide A-level menu and a big enrichment programme.
The best way to judge “next steps” here is to ask what success looks like for your child: steady attendance, improved grades, and a viable plan into sixth form, college, training or employment. In a school with very small cohorts, the story tends to be personal rather than statistical.
Admissions are handled outside the usual local authority co-ordinated process: families apply directly to the school using its application route. After an application is made, the school says families are generally invited for a meeting with the head teacher and a tour, which gives you a chance to test whether the setting is the right match for your child, not just whether there is a place.
The school also sets out a separate route for pupils with an Education, Health and Care Plan, including the ability to admit or decline depending on whether needs can be met. That is a serious point for families to explore early, with clarity about what support is available day-to-day and what the expectations are around specialist input.
Because admissions sit outside the standard timetable, the practical question becomes timing and availability rather than a single deadline. Open events have been run in June, and it is sensible to look for that pattern, but treat specific dates as changeable year to year.
If you are weighing Lord’s against local state options, FindMySchool’s map tools can help you sanity-check the daily logistics. In a small school, the commute and the routine can be as important as the curriculum, especially once clubs or appointments stretch the day.
The school repeatedly places safety, comfort and individual attention at the centre of its message. In a setting with a capacity of 70, pastoral care is less about layered systems and more about whether the adults around your child are consistent, alert, and able to respond quickly. That can be a strength for pupils who have struggled with big-school anonymity, or who need calm and predictability to re-engage with learning.
There is also explicit attention to additional needs: the admissions approach discusses disability, learning difficulties, and the expectation that families share relevant information so appropriate support can be put in place. The school describes classroom support through teachers and assistants, alongside the use of differentiated materials and technology to help pupils access learning.
The question for parents is not whether the school has policies (it publishes many), but whether the day feels steady for your child: attendance expectations, behaviour routines, and the quality of relationships with staff. A small school can be a reset button; it can also be intense. The fit is individual.
The school’s enrichment offer leans heavily into “days out” as a way of building independence and problem-solving. Examples include outdoor activities at Burrs Country Park (such as kayaking, raft building, rock wall climbing and orienteering), alongside trips for skiing, snowboarding and tubing at a dry ski slope. There is also a lighter side to the programme with visits like bowling, trampolining and escape rooms.
These are not just entertainment. For some students, especially those rebuilding confidence after a difficult period, well-structured trips can be where friendships start to feel easier and adult support feels less transactional.
On site, the school highlights unusual physical education opportunities: martial arts (with Kellie Allison), laser pistol target shooting (with Mr Varey), plus archery and fencing. That kind of offer will not matter to every family, but it can be a genuine hook for students who respond better to distinctive activities than to the standard menu.
The key is balance. Enrichment should support attendance and engagement, not replace academic momentum. Ask how these activities sit alongside the timetable, and how the school uses them to reinforce routines, teamwork and self-control.
*Bursaries may be available for eligible families.
Basis: per term
The school day is published clearly: school starts at 8:45am and finishes at 3:00pm, with a 2:30pm finish on Fridays. For families juggling siblings, work, and travel across Bolton, that earlier Friday finish is worth planning around.
Smithills is a car-friendly part of Bolton, and Green Lane is the anchor point for the commute. For rail, Bolton station is the nearest main hub, with onward travel needed. The school has also flagged that roadworks can disrupt the journey at times, so a time buffer on key mornings is sensible. As with many schools on an ordinary road, assume drop-off routines matter more than lingering parking.
Fees are published per term, plus VAT: from £1,600 per term in Years 3 to 6, rising to £1,900 per term in Key Stage 3 and £2,600 per term in Key Stage 4. The school also refers to assisted places being offered on a need basis, which is worth exploring early if affordability is part of the decision.
A very small peer group: A capacity of 70 can be a gift for children who need to be known well. It also means fewer friendship options and less anonymity, which some pupils find hard.
Results context: The GCSE ranking sits low in the published measures. If you are considering Lord’s as a fresh start, ask what the plan is for your child’s core subjects and how progress will be tracked term by term.
Post-16 fit: The school talks about GCSE retakes and routes on to A-level study. That can suit students who need continuity and support, but some families will still prefer a larger sixth form environment for breadth and social scale.
The true cost: Fees are published plus VAT, and extras such as uniform and trips can add up. If you may need help, ask early about assisted places and what they cover.
Lord’s School is defined by smallness. With a published capacity of 70, it is closer to a specialist setting in scale, even though it is a mainstream independent school. For the right child, that can mean attention, consistency, and a genuine chance to reset habits and confidence.
Best suited to families who want an all-through school where individual support is central, and where a smaller environment feels like a solution rather than a limitation. The biggest question is whether your child will thrive in a tiny peer group, and whether the academic plan matches their needs and ambitions.
It is a very small independent school, with a published capacity of 70, and it aims to offer close attention and a personalised experience. The school is non-selective and educates pupils and students across a wide age range, so the “right fit” depends strongly on the child.
Fees are published per term, plus VAT. The school lists £1,600 per term for Years 3 to 6, £1,900 per term for Key Stage 3, and £2,600 per term for Key Stage 4.
Applications are made directly to the school rather than through the standard co-ordinated admissions route. The school says families are generally invited for a meeting with the head teacher and a tour as part of the process.
In the FindMySchool ranking based on official data, the school is ranked 4,261st in England and 25th in Bolton for GCSE outcomes. The school also notes that students may sit GCSE subjects across different examination series rather than all at once.
The school highlights a mix of trips and on-site activities. Examples include outdoor pursuits at Burrs Country Park and on-site options such as martial arts, laser pistol target shooting, archery and fencing.
Get in touch with the school directly
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