St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh

St Thomas’ CofE Primary School, Leigh is a good school across all inspected areas: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. Inspectors found a lively, welcoming school where pupils are happy, polite and respectful, and where staff have high expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils typically achieve well, benefit from an ambitious and well-ordered curriculum, and are well prepared for the next stage of their education. Reading is central to the curriculum, and staff identify and support pupils who struggle with phonics swiftly. Pupils with SEND are identified quickly and teaching is adapted well so they learn what they should. Lessons are calm and orderly, behaviour is positive, and pupils take part in a wide range of enriching experiences, including trips, workshops and responsibilities. Governance is effective and staff are positive about workload and well-being. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. The report also identifies areas for improvement. In some subjects, pupils do not revisit prior learning securely enough, so their knowledge does not always build over time. Some pupils’ absence remains high despite the school’s efforts, meaning they miss valuable learning and personal development opportunities. Pupils’ understanding of fundamental British values is limited, so they are not as well prepared for life in modern Britain as they could be. Published 2024 data does not reflect the school’s typical performance because a considerable number of pupils joined in Years 5 and 6, including new arrivals to the country who were in the early stages of learning English. This was the school’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the current headteacher took up post in September 2022.

Strengths

• Pupils flourish, are happy and embody the school’s code of conduct
• High expectations for pupils’ learning, including pupils with SEND
• Ambitious and well-ordered curriculum across early years and key stages 1 and 2
• Pupils typically achieve well across a range of subjects
• Reading is at the heart of the curriculum and pupils read widely and diversely
• Staff identify and support pupils who find reading difficult swiftly
• Most pupils become confident, fluent readers by the end of Year 2
• Pupils with SEND are identified quickly and teaching is adapted well
• Lessons are calm and orderly with positive learning behaviours
• Pupils are polite, well-mannered and respectful
• Pupils feel safe and are confident staff will help with worries
• A wide range of enrichment opportunities, trips and workshops
• Pupils take on meaningful roles and responsibilities
• Pupils learn how to stay safe online and maintain healthy lifestyles
• Pupils demonstrate mature knowledge of healthy and unhealthy relationships
• Governance is effective, supportive and challenging
• Staff speak positively about workload management and well-being
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• In some subjects, pupils do not revisit prior learning securely enough
• Some pupils’ knowledge does not build securely over time
• Some pupils’ absence levels remain high despite the school’s efforts
• Pupils’ understanding of fundamental British values is limited
• Pupils are not as well prepared for life in modern Britain as they could be

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 St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh attended 94.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 13.7% 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, 0.7% of pupils at St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh 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 St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh had 20.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 5.8% 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, 11.1% of pupils at St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.5% 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 St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh received £6,776 and spent £6,714 for each of its 395 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £208,000 (£526 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 St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh is Good, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh last inspected by Ofsted?

St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh have?

St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh has 395 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh cover?

St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 48% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh?

St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh is at Astley Street, Leigh, Lancashire, WN7 2AS.