Local area: Farnworth North
Local authority: Bolton
Farnworth North in Bolton Early years summary
Summary
Farnworth North (E02001010) is part of Bolton local authority (view on map). Farnworth North has an approximate population of 6,600 people, of which 10% are children 5 years old and under. It is classified as "urban: nearer to a major town or city".
Farnworth North neighbours Breightmet South & Darcy Lever, Burnden & Great Lever, Little Lever, Harper Green, and Farnworth South.
Headlines for early years in Bolton
The data below is shown at local area level
- 67% of children are living in low-income families, ranking it in the 10% most deprived areas (based on income deprivation among children in England)
Guidance and data sources
Local area pages are based on the middle-layer super output areas (MSOAs) distributed across the country. MSOAs comprise between 2,000 and 6,000 households and have a resident population of, generally, between 5,000 and 15,000 people. MSOAs fit within local authorities. For each area, descriptive statistics are compared with local authority and national averages. For more information about MSOAs, please visit the Office for National Statistics website.
The data displayed is sourced from:
Deprivation
Farnworth North is the 30th least deprived area in Bolton (out of 35) with 67% of children living in low-income families, compared to 48% across Bolton and 38% nationally.
67% of children are living in low-income families, ranking it in the 10% most deprived areas (based on income deprivation among children in England).
Provider information
Registered childcare providers
Farnworth North has 8 registered childcare providers.
| Type | Number in Farnworth North |
|---|---|
| All childcare providers | 8 |
| Childminders | 4 |
| Pre-school/day nursery/out-of-school care | 4 |
There have been no inspections of childcare providers in Farnworth North since the introduction of the renewed education inspection framework in November 2025.
Summary of Ofsted findings
Summary of Ofsted findings
Inspection of Bolton’s local authority children’s services
These inspections focus on the effectiveness of local authority services and arrangements:
- to help and protect children, and enable families to stay together and get the help they need
- the experiences and progress of children in care wherever they live, including those children who return home
- the arrangements for permanence for children who are looked after, in stable, loving homes, including adoption
- the experiences and progress of care leavers.
| Inspection type | Inspection start date | Overall effectiveness | Impact of leaders | Help and protection | Children in care | Care leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ILACS Short Inspection | 11 September 2023 | Good | Good | Requires improvement to be good | Good | Good |
| ILACS Standard Inspection | 23 April 2018 | Good | Good | Good | Good | No outcome |
Area SEND inspection of Bolton Local Area Partnership
The purpose of an area SEND inspection is to:
- provide an independent, external evaluation of the effectiveness of the local area partnership’s arrangements for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)
- where appropriate, recommend what the local area partnership should do to improve the arrangements.
| Inspection outcome |
|---|
|
Bolton was last inspected on 17 June 2024. The local area partnership's SEND arrangements typically lead to positive experiences and outcomes for children and young people with SEND. The local area partnership is taking action where improvements are needed. They were given no areas for priority action. The next full area SEND inspection will be within approximately 5 years. Ofsted and Care Quality Commission (CQC) ask that the local area partnership updates and publishes its strategic plan based on the recommendations set out in this report. |
Joint targeted area inspection of Bolton local authority
The agencies for these inspections can include the police, children’s social care, probation services, education and relevant health services. Inspectors will also evaluate how local agencies work with education and childcare providers. The focus of these inspections is how effectively the local safeguarding partners work together at the practice and strategic levels.
| Theme | Inspection start date | Link |
|---|---|---|
| There have been no JTAI inspections for this local authority. | ||
Early years population
Contents
Percentage of Farnworth North population by age group
Table showing percentage of Farnworth North population by age group
| % in Farnworth North | % in Bolton | % National | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age 5 and under | 10% | 7.6% | 6.4% |
| Under 1 year | 1.8% | 1.1% | 1.0% |
| 1 year | 1.7% | 1.2% | 1.0% |
| 2 years | 1.4% | 1.3% | 1.1% |
| 3 years | 1.4% | 1.3% | 1.1% |
| 4 years | 1.6% | 1.4% | 1.1% |
| 5 years | 1.7% | 1.3% | 1.1% |
Local authority context
Early years pupil premium
In Bolton, 4.3% of children are receiving the early years pupil premium, compared to 5.1% nationally.
Children looked after
The percentage of 'children looked after' in Bolton is 0.9% for under 1 year olds and 0.5% for 1 to 4 year olds. The national average is 0.6% for under 1 year olds and 0.4% for 1 to 4 year olds.
Contents
Table showing percentage of children looked after in Bolton
| Number in Bolton | % in Bolton | % National | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Children looked after (under 1 year) | 32 | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Children looked after (aged 1 to 4 years) | 85 | 0.5% | 0.4% |
Percentage of children looked after in Bolton
Special educational needs and disabilities in state-funded schools
This data is taken from the school census data for children aged 5 and under with special educational needs and disabilities in state-funded settings.
In Bolton, 5.4% of children aged 5 and under receive SEN support in state-funded settings and 1.7% have an EHC plan, compared to 4.5% and 1.4% nationally.
Contents
Percentage of children with SEND in state-funded settings by age group
Table showing percentage of children with SEND in state-funded settings by age group
| Number in Bolton | % in Bolton | % National | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total: SEN support in state-funded settings (age 5 and under) | 1,278 | 5.4% | 4.5% |
| Total: SEN support in state-funded settings (under 2 years) | 81 | 0.7% | 0.3% |
| Total: SEN support in state-funded settings (3 years) | 200 | 5.0% | 3.7% |
| Total: SEN support in state-funded settings (4 years) | 449 | 11% | 9.2% |
| Total: SEN support in state-funded settings (5 years) | 548 | 14% | 12% |
| Total: EHCPs in state-funded settings (age 5 and under) | 391 | 1.7% | 1.4% |
| Total: EHCPs in state-funded settings (under 2 years) | 0 | 0% | 0% |
| Total: EHCPs in state-funded settings (3 years) | 4 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Total: EHCPs in state-funded settings (4 years) | 138 | 3.3% | 3.1% |
| Total: EHCPs in state-funded settings (5 years) | 249 | 6.1% | 4.8% |
Education, health and care plans
This data is taken from the local authority level data for children aged 5 and under issued with an education, health and care (EHC) plan in Bolton.
In Bolton, 1.7% of children aged 5 and under have an EHC plan, compared to 1.6% nationally.
Contents
Percentage of children with an EHCP in Bolton by age group
Table showing percentage of children with an EHCP in Bolton by age group
| Number in Bolton | % in Bolton | % National | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total: Children with an EHCP (age 5 and under) | 397 | 1.7% | 1.6% |
| Total: Children with an EHCP (under 2 years) | 0 | 0% | 0% |
| Total: Children with an EHCP (3 years) | 6 | 0.2% | 0.8% |
| Total: Children with an EHCP (4 years) | 147 | 3.5% | 3.4% |
| Total: Children with an EHCP (5 years) | 244 | 6.0% | 5.0% |
Early years funded takeup
In Bolton, take-up of funded early years places is 68% for 2-year-olds, 95% for 3-year-olds, and 94% for 4-year-olds, compared to 72%, 88%, and 93% nationally.
Contents
Percentage of eligible children taking up funded early years places
Table showing percentage of eligible children taking up funded early years places
| Funded early years places for 2-year-olds | Number of eligible 2-year-olds | % of population aged 2 | % take-up of funded places |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bolton | 878 | 22% | 68% |
| National | 119,598 | 19% | 72% |
| Funded early years places for 3-year-olds | Number of eligible 3-year-olds | % of population aged 3 | % take-up of funded places |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bolton | All 3-year olds are eligible | 95% | |
| National | 88% | ||
| Funded early years places for 4-year-olds | Number of eligible 4-year-olds | % of population aged 4 | % take-up of funded places |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bolton | All 4-year olds are eligible | 94% | |
| National | 93% | ||
The 2-, 3-, and 4-year-old funded places tables look different because they measure different things; funded places for 2-year-olds are only for children considered to be disadvantaged, while for 3- and 4-year-olds everyone is entitled to a funded place.
Children's overweight and obesity
In Bolton, 22% of reception-age children are overweight or obese, compared to 24% nationally.
Contents
Percentage of reception-age children overweight or obese
Table showing percentage of reception-age children overweight or obese
| Number in Bolton | % in Bolton | % National | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Children's overweight and obesity (reception-age children) | 800 | 22% | 24% |
Oral health
In Bolton, 35% of children aged 5 have visible tooth decay (oral health issues) compared to 22% nationally.
Contents
Percentage of 5-year-olds with visible tooth decay
Table showing percentage of 5-year-olds with visible tooth decay
| Number examined in Bolton | % examined in Bolton | % in Bolton | % National | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral health (visible tooth decay in 5-year-olds) | 341 | 8.6% | 35% | 22% |