The Ferns Primary Academy
Academy sponsor led primary school in Bolton (Bolton).
KS2 RWM expected
76%
▲ 14pp England 2024/25: 62%
2024/25
Reading expected
85%
▲ 10pp England 2024/25: 75%
2024/25
Maths expected
85%
▲ 11pp England 2024/25: 74%
2024/25
Writing expected
81%
▲ 9pp England 2024/25: 72%
2024/25
Attendance rate
94.5%
▼ 0.3pp England 2024/25: 94.8%
2024/25 academic year
Pupil : Teacher
24.4
▲ 3.7 England 2025/26: 20.7
2025/26
Eligible for free school meals
30.6%
▲ 6pp England 2025/26: 24.9%
school census 15/01/2026
Capacity
106%
445 / 420 pupils
register figure (GIAS)
Academy trust
iGet Information about Schools (DfE), extract of 24 Oct 2026, and Governance Register.The Ferns Primary Academy is one of 30 schools run by Northern Education Trust.
- Type of school
- Academy sponsor led
- Ages
- 3 to 11
Open the trust on Governance Register to see its trustees and board →
Schools in the trust
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| School | Phase | Local authority | Pupils | Governors on Governance Register | Latest Ofsted in our data (as at 30 Sep 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abbey Park Academy | Primary | Calderdale | 217 | 9 | Ungraded inspection 2022Last graded Good (Jun 2017) |
| Badger Hill Academy | Primary | Redcar and Cleveland | 138 | 13 | Good 2022 |
| Buile Hill Academy | Secondary | Salford | 870 | 10 | Requires improvement 2022This inspection was of the school this one replaced. |
| Chesham Primary Academy | Primary | Bury | 293 | 7 | Inadequate 2023This inspection was of the school this one replaced. |
| Denton Community Academy | Secondary | Tameside | 1,107 | 7 | Inadequate 2022This inspection was of the school this one replaced. |
| Dyke House Sports and Technology College | Secondary | Hartlepool | 1,293 | 12 | Report card 2026Strong standard in all six areas; safeguarding standards met |
| Essa Academy | Secondary | Bolton | 1,055 | 11 | Report card 2026Strong standard in all six areas; safeguarding standards met |
| Essa Primary Academy | Primary | Bolton | 387 | 10 | Key judgements 2024Good in all four key judgements; early years provision Good; safeguarding effective |
| Farringdon Community Academy | Secondary | Sunderland | 712 | 10 | Report card 2026Strong standard in 2 areas, Expected standard in 4; safeguarding standards met |
| Frederick Nattrass Primary Academy | Primary | Stockton-on-Tees | 204 | 10 | Ungraded inspection 2025Last graded Good (May 2016) |
| Freebrough Academy | Secondary | Redcar and Cleveland | 814 | 14 | Outstanding 2023 |
| Hazlehurst Primary Academy | Primary | Bury | 156 | 11 | Inadequate 2023This inspection was of the school this one replaced. |
| Hetton Academy | Secondary | Sunderland | 681 | 13 | Key judgements 2024Good in all four key judgements; safeguarding effective |
| Hilton Primary Academy | Primary | Newcastle upon Tyne | 415 | 9 | Key judgements 2025Outstanding in all four key judgements; early years provision Outstanding; safeguarding effective |
| Kearsley Academy | Secondary | Bolton | 768 | 13 | Report card 2026Exceptional in 1 area, Strong standard in 5; safeguarding standards met |
| Kirk Balk Academy | Secondary | Barnsley | 1,318 | 15 | Good 2020Ungraded inspection Jun 2025, no grade given |
| Manor Community Academy | Secondary | Hartlepool | 984 | 11 | Report card 2025Strong standard in 3 areas, Expected standard in 3; safeguarding standards met |
| Merlin Top Primary Academy | Primary | Bradford | 343 | 13 | Ungraded inspection 2024Last graded Outstanding (Mar 2019) |
| Mount Pellon Primary Academy | Primary | Calderdale | 303 | 9 | Ungraded inspection 2024Last graded Good (Jan 2019) |
| North Shore Academy | Secondary | Stockton-on-Tees | 850 | 13 | Report card 2026Strong standard in 5 areas, Expected standard in 1; safeguarding standards met |
| Norton Primary Academy | Primary | Stockton-on-Tees | 320 | 13 | Ungraded inspection 2025Last graded Good (Apr 2019) |
| Red House Academy | Secondary | Sunderland | 432 | 10 | Good 2020Ungraded inspection Mar 2025, no grade given |
| The Blyth Academy | Secondary | Northumberland | 766 | 8 | Good 2021Ungraded inspection Apr 2025, no grade given |
| The Ferns Primary Academy (this school) | Primary | Bolton | 445 | 9 | Report card 2026Strong standard in 5 areas, Expected standard in 2; safeguarding standards met |
| The Grangefield Academy | Secondary | Stockton-on-Tees | 1,004 | 11 | Outstanding 2022 |
| The Oak Tree Academy | Primary | Stockton-on-Tees | 216 | 13 | Good 2019Ungraded inspection Mar 2025, no grade given |
| Thornaby Academy | Secondary | Stockton-on-Tees | 443 | 13 | Report card 2026Strong standard in 2 areas, Expected standard in 4; safeguarding standards met |
| Thorp Academy | Secondary | Gateshead | 1,442 | 17 | Ungraded inspection 2024Last graded Good (Apr 2019) |
| Walbottle Academy | Secondary | Newcastle upon Tyne | 1,722 | 12 | Good 2023 |
| Whitecliffe Academy | Primary | Redcar and Cleveland | 91 | 13 | Ungraded inspection 2025Last graded Good (Nov 2011, previous school) |
| 30 schools | 19,789 |
Schools linked to the trust in the Governance Register school data (Get Information about Schools, extract of 24 Oct 2026). Pupils are on-roll counts from the register. Ofsted: latest inspection in the Ofsted management information (as at 30 September 2026); "No overall grade" means inspected since September 2024 without a one-word grade; what the inspection found is shown beneath, and the school's Ofsted card has the full table.
What this means
- Funding
- An academy is funded directly by the Department for Education, through its trust, rather than through the local council.
- Admissions
- The trust is the admissions authority and sets the admissions policy. Applications are usually still coordinated by the local council.
- Governance
- The trust board is legally accountable for the school. It often delegates some oversight to a local governing body.
General explanation of how academy trusts work in England, not a statement about this trust. See GOV.UK Academy trust governance guide.