Primary · Voluntary aided school · Wigan, WN5 7AA
Key stage 2 2024/25
#1,757 of 15,057
Better than 88% of schools in England
Ranked by pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.
Ofsted report cardInspected 23 Jun 2026
Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 106492.
Year 6 results in national curriculum tests and teacher assessments. The expected standard is the level pupils should reach by the end of primary school.
| Measure | This school | Wigan | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 80%, better than England, better than Wigan | 66% | 63% |
| Higher standard in reading, writing and mathsScore of 110 or more in reading and maths, greater depth in writing. | 20%, better than England, better than Wigan | 10% | 8% |
| Average reading scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard. | 110, better than England, better than Wigan | 106 | 106 |
| Average maths scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard. | 109, better than England, better than Wigan | 105 | 105 |
| Average grammar, punctuation and spelling scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard. | 110, better than England, better than Wigan | 106 | 105 |
| Expected standard in reading | 90%, better than England, better than Wigan | 77% | 76% |
| Expected standard in writing | 87%, better than England, better than Wigan | 74% | 73% |
| Expected standard in maths | 88%, better than England, better than Wigan | 77% | 75% |
| Pupils taking tests | 60 | - | - |
Source: DfE, Compare school performance, Compare school performance 2024-2025.
Pupils at the January school census.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Total pupils | 347 |
| Girls | 161 |
| Boys | 186 |
| Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals. | 9.5% |
| First language not English | 3.2% |
| School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery. | 420 |
| Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken. | 17.4% |
| SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school. | 42 |
| EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs. | 3 |
| Average class size | 25.3 |
Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.
Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.
Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.
Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Pupils per teacher | 21.8 |
| Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants. | 12.6 |
| Teachers (FTE) | 15.91 |
| Teaching assistants (FTE) | 11.56 |
| Support staff (FTE) | 15.26 |
| Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/25 | 17.9 |
| Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/25 | 16.9 |
| Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/25 | 1 |
| Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/25 | 0 |
Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.
Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Offers made (Reception)Places offered on national offer day. | 46 |
| Applications (Reception)Includes every preference parents listed. | 113 |
| First preference applications (Reception)Families who put this school as their first choice. | 54 |
| First preference offers (Reception)First-choice applicants who were offered a place. | 46 |
| Applications from another local authority (Reception) | 15 |
Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.
Share of possible sessions missed.
| Measure | This school | Wigan | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall absence | 4%, better than England, better than Wigan | 5% | 5.1% |
| Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions. | 6.8%, better than England, better than Wigan | 12% | 13.2% |
| Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions. | 0.3%, better than England, better than Wigan | 1% | 1% |
Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.
Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Suspension rate | 0.3% |
| Pupils with one or more suspensions | 0.3% |
| Permanent exclusion rate | 0% |
| Permanent exclusions | 0 |
Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.
Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.
| Distance | Phase | Name | Type | Rating | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 mi | Primary | Orrell Newfold Community Primary School | Community school | Outstanding Ofsted rating. Inspected 5 Jun 2024. | |
| 0.2 mi | Secondary | Up Holland High School | Academy converter | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 10 Mar 2015. | |
| 0.4 mi | Primary | Orrell Holgate Academy | Academy converter | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 2 Nov 2011. | |
| 0.6 mi | 16 plus | Winstanley College | Further education | Unrated Unrated. | |
| 1.0 mi | Secondary | St Peter's Catholic High School | Voluntary aided school | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 5 Mar 2024. | |
| 1.2 mi | Primary | St Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School | Voluntary aided school | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 21 Mar 2013. | |
| 1.3 mi | Secondary | Dean Trust Wigan | Academy sponsor led | Requires improvement Area360 rating. Inspected 23 Jun 2026. | |
| 1.4 mi | Primary | Orrell Lamberhead Green Academy | Academy converter | Outstanding Area360 rating. Inspected 25 Feb 2025. | |
| 1.4 mi | Primary | St John's CofE Primary School | Voluntary aided school | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 20 May 2014. | |
| 1.5 mi | Primary | St Teresa's Catholic Primary School | Voluntary aided school | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 11 Sept 2019. |
St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell is rated Good, last inspected on 23 Jun 2026. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.
St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell ranks 1,757 of 15,057 schools in England for Key stage 2 2024/25 (better than 88% of schools).
In 2024/25, 80% of pupils at St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (England 63%).
For Reception entry in 2026/27, St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell made 46 offers from 113 applications (2.5 per offer), and 46 of 54 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.
St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell has 347 pupils aged 4 to 11.
St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell had 420 school places in 2024/25.
At St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell, the average class had 25.3 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 21.8 pupils per teacher.
In 2025/26, pupils at St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell missed 4% of sessions (England 5.1%), and 6.8% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 13.2%).
Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.