Leigh Central Primary School

Leigh Central Primary School is a smaller-than-average primary with a high proportion of disadvantaged pupils, well-above-average EHC plans, and a specially resourced provision for up to five pupils with autistic spectrum disorder. Inspectors found the school meeting the expected standard across all evaluated areas, with safeguarding met. Pupils are included, feel safe and behave well; relationships are strong, and most pupils, including those joining mid-year and those with SEND, access an ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum. Strengths include strong early years provision, effective phonics and early reading, tailored SEND support, calm and orderly behaviour, and highly effective pastoral care and personal development. Leadership and governance are a notable strength: leaders know the community, prioritise language development, and staff value the professional development and supportive culture. Published outcomes have improved and are now close to national averages, including for disadvantaged pupils. There are still areas to address. Persistent absence remains above national levels, and some pupils do not attend often enough. Teachers occasionally choose activities that are not accurately matched to pupils' abilities, so learning is not deepened as much as it could be. Historic published outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics, and the Year 1 phonics check, have been below national averages over recent years, though current pupils are performing better.

Strengths

• Inclusive and nurturing environment where pupils feel safe, valued and a sense of belonging.
• Ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum across subjects, with clear progression from early years to Year 6.
• Strong early years provision, including effective speaking, listening and phonics teaching.
• Calm and orderly behaviour, with fair and consistent rewards and effective support for pupils needing extra help.
• Highly effective pastoral support and personal development programme, including safety, relationships, mental health and British values.
• Expertly tailored provision for pupils with SEND, including the specially resourced ASD provision.
• Effective use of pupil premium to support disadvantaged pupils, especially in mathematics.
• Strong leadership and governance, with accurate self-evaluation, useful governor challenge and good staff development.
• Positive relationships with parents and carers, who value communication and the nurturing approach.
• Pupils access a wide range of enrichment, leadership roles and experiences that prepare them well for life beyond school.
• Safeguarding standards met, with an open culture and concerns acted upon promptly.

Areas for Improvement

• Persistent absence remains above national levels, and some pupils still do not attend school often enough.
• Teachers sometimes do not match learning activities accurately to pupils' abilities, limiting depth of learning.
• Published outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics over the latest three-year average are below national averages.
• Historic Year 1 phonics check outcomes have been below national averages, although current pupils are achieving better.

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 Leigh Central Primary School attended 94.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 20.4% 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 Leigh Central 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 Leigh Central Primary School had 19.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.6% 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, 18.5% of pupils at Leigh Central Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 9.5% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has resourced provision with 5 pupils.

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 Leigh Central Primary School received £9,696 and spent £9,854 for each of its 211 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £420,000 (£1,992 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 Leigh · Wigan local authority: places and applications

What is Leigh Central Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Leigh Central Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Leigh Central Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Leigh Central Primary School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Leigh Central Primary School have?

Leigh Central Primary School has 211 pupils on roll.

What age range does Leigh Central Primary School cover?

Leigh Central Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 55% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Leigh Central Primary School?

Leigh Central Primary School is at Windermere Road, Leigh, Lancashire, WN7 1UY.