School profile

St John Fisher Catholic High School

Secondary · Voluntary aided school · Wigan, WN6 7RN

Requires improvement

Map showing St John Fisher Catholic High School

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

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#1,739 of 3,312

Similar to most schools in England

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

St John Fisher Catholic High School Ofsted rating

Ofsted report cardInspected 10 Mar 2026

Area360 rating
Requires improvement
Inclusion
Expected standard
Curriculum and teaching
Needs attention
Achievement
Needs attention
Attendance and behaviour
Expected standard
Personal development and wellbeing
Strong standard
Leadership and governance
Expected standard
Safeguarding
Met

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeVoluntary aided school
Ages11 to 16
Pupils998
GenderMixed
Religious characterRoman Catholic
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMrs Alison Rigby
Local authorityWigan
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 106535.

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.45.5, similar to England, similar to Wigan45.146.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.59.5%, worse than England, worse than Wigan63.9%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.34%, worse than England, worse than Wigan43%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.7.5%, worse than England, worse than Wigan10.4%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths57.5%, similar to England, similar to Wigan59.2%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4200--

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 pupils998
Girls504
Boys494
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.33.4%
First language not English16.4%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,117
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.10.7%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.203
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.31
Average class size23.9

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
76.7%
Other White
8.6%
African
3.7%
Indian
2.7%
Other Black
1.6%
Other ethnic group
1.6%
Other mixed
1.5%
Pakistani
0.8%
Other Asian
0.7%
White and Asian
0.6%

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 teacher16.1
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.10.5
Teachers (FTE)61.93
Teaching assistants (FTE)18.9
Support staff (FTE)52.18
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2564.3
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2555.5
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/250
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/258.8

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.194
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.408
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.201
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.181
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)1

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 absence8.8%, worse than England, worse than Wigan8%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.23.9%, worse than England, worse than Wigan21.3%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.3.3%, similar to England, similar to 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 rate10.7%
Pupils with one or more suspensions5.9%
Permanent exclusion rate0.5%
Permanent exclusions5

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.93.6%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.84.7%
Further education47.5%
Sixth form college34.7%
Employment5%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.5%
Apprenticeship4%
School sixth form0%

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 St John Fisher Catholic High School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.1 miPrimarySacred Heart Catholic Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school
Good
0.2 miPrimaryBeech Hill Community Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.3 miPrimaryWigan St Andrew's CofE Junior and Infant SchoolVoluntary aided school
Requires improvement
0.6 miPrimaryStandish Lower Ground St Anne's CofE Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school
Good
0.9 miSecondaryThe Deanery Church of England High School and Sixth Form CollegeVoluntary aided school
Good
1.0 miPrimaryWoodfield Primary SchoolCommunity school
Outstanding
1.0 miPrimaryMarsh Green Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
1.1 miPrimaryMab's Cross Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
1.1 miPrimarySt Mary and St John Catholic Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school
Outstanding
1.3 miPrimarySt Mark's CofE Primary SchoolAcademy sponsor led
Good

Frequently asked questions about St John Fisher Catholic High School

What is St John Fisher Catholic High School's Ofsted rating?

St John Fisher Catholic High School is rated Requires improvement, last inspected on 10 Mar 2026. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.

How does St John Fisher Catholic High School rank in England?

St John Fisher Catholic High School ranks 1,739 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (similar to most schools).

What are St John Fisher Catholic High School's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 34% of pupils at St John Fisher Catholic High School got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 45.5 (England 46.2).

How hard is it to get into St John Fisher Catholic High School?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, St John Fisher Catholic High School made 194 offers from 408 applications (2.1 per offer), and 181 of 201 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend St John Fisher Catholic High School?

St John Fisher Catholic High School has 998 pupils aged 11 to 16.

What is the capacity of St John Fisher Catholic High School?

St John Fisher Catholic High School had 1,117 school places in 2024/25.

Does St John Fisher Catholic High School have a sixth form?

No, St John Fisher Catholic High School teaches pupils up to age 16.

How big are classes at St John Fisher Catholic High School?

At St John Fisher Catholic High School, the average class had 23.9 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 16.1 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at St John Fisher Catholic High School?

In 2025/26, pupils at St John Fisher Catholic High School missed 8.8% of sessions (England 8%), and 23.9% 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.