Woodfield Primary School

Woodfield Primary School is an outstanding primary school where pupils, including children in the early years, achieve exceptionally well. Inspectors found an ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum, highly effective teaching and strong reading and phonics provision, with pupils with SEND identified quickly and supported to achieve highly from their starting points. Pupils are happy, behave impeccably and show deep mutual respect. Personal development is extensive, with clubs, trips, pupil leadership roles and strong community and charity links. Early years provision, leadership and governance are also outstanding, staff feel well supported, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. This was the school’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and its first section 5 inspection since 2014, after a period of exemption; a new headteacher has been appointed. No areas for improvement were identified in the report, and the school was not given an overall effectiveness grade because of the inspection framework changes from September 2024.

Strengths

• Highly ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum across subjects
• Exceptional pupil achievement from ambitious expectations
• Superb indoor and outdoor learning environment
• Exemplary pupil behaviour and deep mutual respect
• Extensive personal development opportunities, clubs and trips
• Strong pupil leadership and community and charitable contribution
• Highly effective phonics and early reading provision
• Swift identification and effective support for pupils with SEND
• Teachers present learning clearly and check understanding well
• Governors know the school exceptionally well and provide support and challenge
• Staff feel appreciated and supported with work-life balance
• Effective safeguarding arrangements

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Woodfield Primary School attended 97.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 2.2% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.0% of pupils at Woodfield Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Woodfield Primary School had 23.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 7.7% of pupils at Woodfield Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.9% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Woodfield Primary School received £6,543 and spent £6,376 for each of its 209 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £73,000 (£347 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Wigan · Wigan local authority: places and applications

What is Woodfield Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Woodfield Primary School is Outstanding, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was Woodfield Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Woodfield Primary School was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does Woodfield Primary School have?

Woodfield Primary School has 209 pupils on roll.

What age range does Woodfield Primary School cover?

Woodfield Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Woodfield Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 93% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Woodfield Primary School?

Woodfield Primary School is at Wigan Lane, Wigan, Lancashire, WN1 2NT.