School profile

Cansfield High School

Secondary · Community school · Wigan, WN4 9TP

Good

Map showing Cansfield High School

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#2,405 of 3,312

Worse than 72% of schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

Cansfield High School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 12 Jun 2024

Ofsted rating
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeCommunity school
Ages11 to 16
Pupils974
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMrs Nicola Daniels
Local authorityWigan
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 106521.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolWiganEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.41.7, worse than England, worse than Wigan45.146.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.59.3%, worse than England, worse than Wigan63.9%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.36.3%, worse than England, worse than Wigan43%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.2.9%, worse than England, worse than Wigan10.4%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths52.9%, worse than England, worse than Wigan59.2%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4204--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils974
Girls431
Boys543
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.28.9%
First language not English4%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,334
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.27%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.207
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.47
Average class size24.4

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
91.6%
Other mixed
1.5%
Other White
1.4%
African
1.2%
Chinese
1.1%
Other Asian
1%
Other ethnic group
0.5%
White and Black Caribbean
0.4%
White and Black African
0.3%
White and Asian
0.3%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher17.4
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.10.4
Teachers (FTE)56
Teaching assistants (FTE)16.19
Support staff (FTE)52.86
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2562.2
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2552.2
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/255
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/255

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

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.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day.172
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.381
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.135
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.135
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)31

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolWiganEngland
Overall absence7.1%, better than England, better than Wigan8%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.18.6%, better than England, better than Wigan21.3%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.2.5%, better than England, better than Wigan3.4%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

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.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate7.9%
Pupils with one or more suspensions4.1%
Permanent exclusion rate0.3%
Permanent exclusions3

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.91.8%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.83.1%
Further education43.1%
Sixth form college37.9%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.8.2%
Apprenticeship6.2%
Employment2.6%
School sixth form1%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Cansfield High School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.3 miPrimaryR L Hughes Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.3 miPrimaryNicol Mere SchoolCommunity school
Outstanding
0.4 miPrimarySt Oswald's Catholic Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school
Good
0.6 miPrimaryBryn St Peter's CofE Primary SchoolVoluntary controlled school
Good
0.6 miPrimarySt Thomas CofE Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school
Good
0.8 miSecondarySt Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-MakerfieldVoluntary aided school
Outstanding
0.9 miSecondaryThe Byrchall High SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.0 miPrimarySt Wilfrids Catholic Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school
Good
1.0 miPrimaryRectory CofE Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school
Requires improvement
1.2 miPrimaryGarswood Primary and Nursery SchoolCommunity school
Outstanding

Frequently asked questions about Cansfield High School

What is Cansfield High School's Ofsted rating?

Cansfield High School is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 12 Jun 2024.

How does Cansfield High School rank in England?

Cansfield High School ranks 2,405 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 72% of schools).

What are Cansfield High School's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 36.3% of pupils at Cansfield High School got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 41.7 (England 46.2).

How hard is it to get into Cansfield High School?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Cansfield High School made 172 offers from 381 applications (2.2 per offer), and 135 of 135 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Cansfield High School?

Cansfield High School has 974 pupils aged 11 to 16.

What is the capacity of Cansfield High School?

Cansfield High School had 1,334 school places in 2024/25.

Does Cansfield High School have a sixth form?

No, Cansfield High School teaches pupils up to age 16.

How big are classes at Cansfield High School?

At Cansfield High School, the average class had 24.4 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 17.4 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Cansfield High School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Cansfield High School missed 7.1% of sessions (England 8%), and 18.6% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).

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.