St Patrick's Catholic Primary School

St Patrick’s Catholic Primary is a nurturing, high-performing school where pupils are proud, confident and kind. Behaviour around school is exceptional and pupils’ attitudes to learning are highly positive; they work hard, respect staff and each other, and learn without distraction. The school has a broad, ambitious curriculum with clear progression from early years to Year 6, and pupils, including those with SEND, generally achieve well. Personal development is a particular strength, with extensive enrichment, pupil leadership, community involvement and sustainability work. Safeguarding is effective, and staff and governors are well supported. Leaders have maintained strong standards following a long period without routine inspection; this was the first routine inspection since the pandemic, and the school has appointed a new headteacher and deputy headteacher. Early years provision is strong and children settle quickly. However, a small number of pupils who struggle with reading do not consistently get books matched to their phonics knowledge, and some staff need more expertise to provide targeted catch-up support. In some subjects, teachers do not always choose the most effective activities, which limits how deeply some pupils learn the intended curriculum. These are focused areas for improvement rather than widespread weaknesses.

Strengths

• Pupils are proud, confident, kind and articulate members of a nurturing school community.
• Pupils’ conduct around school is impeccable and highly respectful.
• Pupils’ attitudes to learning are exceptional, and they work hard without distraction.
• The curriculum is broad and ambitious, with clear progression from early years to Year 6.
• Reading is supported by a carefully chosen English curriculum and engaging class texts.
• Pupils with SEND generally access the ambitious curriculum and achieve well.
• Personal development is exceptionally strong, including pupil leadership, enrichment and community involvement.
• Pupils have an impressive understanding of sustainability and make a valuable impact on the wider community.
• Staff are positive about their development, workload and well-being.
• Governors provide effective support and challenge and understand their statutory duties.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
• Children in early years settle quickly into routines and get along well together.

Areas for Improvement

• A small number of pupils who find reading difficult do not receive books that match their phonics knowledge.
• Some staff lack expertise in providing targeted phonics and reading catch-up support.
• In some subjects, staff do not choose the most effective activities to help pupils learn the intended curriculum deeply.

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 Patrick's Catholic Primary School attended 93.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 16.4% 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, 1.1% of pupils at St Patrick's Catholic 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 St Patrick's Catholic Primary School had 17.8 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, 10.6% of pupils at St Patrick's Catholic Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.7% 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 Patrick's Catholic Primary School received £7,274 and spent £7,205 for each of its 339 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £675,000 (£1,994 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 St Patrick's Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Patrick's Catholic Primary School is Good, from an inspection in February 2025.

When was St Patrick's Catholic Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

St Patrick's Catholic Primary School was last inspected in February 2025.

How many pupils does St Patrick's Catholic Primary School have?

St Patrick's Catholic Primary School has 348 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Patrick's Catholic Primary School cover?

St Patrick's Catholic Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are St Patrick's Catholic Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 73% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Patrick's Catholic Primary School?

St Patrick's Catholic Primary School is at Hardybutts, Wigan, Lancashire, WN1 3RZ.