St Catharine's CofE Primary School
St Catharine's CofE Primary School is a voluntary aided school in Wigan for pupils aged 4 to 11. It has a Church of England religious character. It has 205 pupils on roll. The latest Ofsted rating for St Catharine's CofE Primary School is Good, from an inspection in September 2023. In 2025, 38% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.
Ofsted inspection: September 2023. KS2 results: 2025.
| Type | Primary / Voluntary aided school |
| Age Range | 4-11 |
| Religion | Church of England |
| Address | Scholefield Lane Scholes Wigan Lancashire WN1 3LP |
| Phone | 01942733081 |
| Reference Number | 106464 |
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 205 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 48.29%
Girls: 51.71% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 53.2% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 16.6% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 29.3 |
| Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher | 28.7 |
| Average size of Key Stage 2 classes taught by one teacher | 29.8 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | 14 | 30 |
| 2 | 9 | 18 | 27 |
| 3 | 15 | 15 | 30 |
| 4 | 19 | 10 | 29 |
| 5 | 13 | 17 | 30 |
| 6 | 14 | 16 | 30 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 76.1% |
| White, Other | 5.4% |
| African | 4.9% |
| Mixed, Other | 2% |
| Asian, Other | 2% |
| White & Asian | 1% |
| Chinese | 0.5% |
| Indian | 0.5% |
St Catharine’s C of E Primary School has been rated as good overall in its latest Ofsted inspection. The school demonstrates strong leadership and management, with an outstanding performance in behaviour and attitudes, and has successfully fostered a supportive and engaged school community. Pupils are happy, safe, and take pride in their achievements while receiving a well-structured education that encourages personal development and a love for learning. However, the school is in the process of refining specific subjects in its curriculum to enhance pupils' vocabulary and understanding, especially in some areas of knowledge delivery.
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Good |
| > Quality of education | Good |
| > Behaviour & Attitude | Outstanding |
| > Personal Development | Good |
| > Leadership & Management | Outstanding |
| > Early Years Provision | Good |
| Last Report Date | 20 Jun 2023 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 20 Jun 2023 | School inspection: |
| 22 Jan 2020 | School inspection |
| 23 Sep 2015 | Full inspection: |
| 04 Dec 2013 | Monitoring visit |
| 24 Sep 2013 | Full inspection: |
| 13 Oct 2010 | Full inspection: |
| 04 Feb 2008 | Full inspection: |
| 07 Jun 2004 | Full inspection |
Strengths
- Pupils exhibit outstanding behaviour and attitudes towards learning.
- The school has a strong and cohesive culture, fostering pride among pupils.
- Leaders provide an ambitious curriculum tailored to pupils' needs.
- Staff are well-trained to address the needs of pupils with SEND.
- Reading is central to the curriculum, promoting confidence and fluency.
Areas for Improvement
- Some subjects are still refining essential subject-specific vocabulary.
How many students meet the standards
| Reading, Writing & Maths | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils meeting the expected standard | 38% | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Pupils meeting a higher standard | 0% | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
Average Scaled Score
Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.
| Subject | School | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 102 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Maths | 102 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
Progress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 0.6 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Writing | 0.6 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Maths | 4.2 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
How many students meet the standards
Sample
UnlockAverage Scaled Score
Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.
Sample
UnlockProgress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
Sample
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See how St Catharine's CofE Primary School ranks locally and nationally. Percentile rankings against every other school, historic result charts, admissions data and post-GCSE destinations are all included.
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Unlock for £9.99Reception admissions, 2026 entry
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| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Second Preference | 18 | 1 |
| Third Preference | 9 | 0 |
| From another Local Authority | 0 | 0 |
Previous years
Sample
UnlockPlaces and pupil numbers
In 2024–25 St Catharine's CofE Primary School had 206 pupils for 192 places. That is 14 more pupils than the school has room for.
Pupils and places
Reception intake in the “Area 3: Wigan north and Wigan North West” planning area
Wigan counted 300 Reception pupils in this area in 2024–25 and forecasts 283 in 2029–30, down 6%.
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Places | 192 | 192 | 192 | 192 | 192 | 192 | 192 | 192 | 192 | 192 | 192 | 192 | 192 | 192 | 192 |
| Pupils | 165 | 168 | 179 | 176 | 186 | 182 | 192 | 203 | 205 | 204 | 205 | 203 | 206 | 207 | 206 |
| Unfilled | 14.1% | 12.5% | 6.8% | 8.3% | 3.1% | 5.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
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 Catharine's CofE Primary School attended 94.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.9% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).
Sessions missed
Pupils persistently absent
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Authorised absence | 2.2% | 1.4% | 2.5% | 2.8% | 2.6% | 3.1% | 4.4% | 5.4% | 4.3% | 4.3% | 4.1% |
| Unauthorised absence | 2.5% | 2.3% | 1.7% | 1.2% | 1.1% | 1.0% | 0.9% | 1.5% | 2.0% | 2.0% | 1.5% |
| Severely absent pupils | 0.0% | 1.2% | 0.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
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, 0.5% of pupils at St Catharine's CofE Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.
Pupils suspended at least once
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspensions per 100 pupils | 0.0 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 2.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 6.3 | 1.9 | 1.5 |
| Permanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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 Catharine's CofE Primary School had 22.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.9% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).
Pupils per teacher
Teachers who left the school within a year
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils per adult | 11.2 | 12.8 | 11.9 | 14.6 | 9.7 | 8.7 | 9.8 | 9.2 | 9.8 | 10.1 | 9.3 | 9.9 | 9.3 | 8.5 | 9.4 | 8.4 |
| Teachers who left state teaching | 0.0% | 0.0% | 38.8% | 25.0% | 23.5% | 19.8% | 0.0% | 17.4% | 10.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 9.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | – |
| Teachers who took any sick leave | 36.4% | 30.0% | 66.7% | 44.4% | 35.7% | 41.7% | 45.5% | 45.5% | 45.5% | – | 25.0% | 27.3% | 60.0% | 36.4% | 69.2% | – |
| Sick days per teacher | 3.1 | 3.2 | 7.8 | 12.8 | 6.2 | 3.3 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 2.9 | – | 1.4 | 0.9 | 2.5 | 3.0 | 3.7 | – |
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, 14.6% of pupils at St Catharine's CofE Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.4% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).
Pupils by main type of need
| SEN support | EHC plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Speech, language and communication needs | 10 | 2 |
| Moderate learning difficulty | 10 | 0 |
| Social, emotional and mental health | 4 | 3 |
| Specific learning difficulty | 3 | 0 |
| Autistic spectrum disorder | 2 | 0 |
| Other difficulty or disability | 1 | 0 |
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 Catharine's CofE Primary School received £7,782 and spent £8,542 for each of its 205 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £145,000 (£705 per pupil).
Income per pupil
Spending per pupil
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue reserve | £161,000 | £195,000 | £268,000 | £279,000 | £309,000 | £300,000 | £300,000 | £145,000 |
| per pupil | £791 | £968 | £1,306 | £1,360 | £1,488 | £1,442 | £1,472 | £705 |
| In-year balance | -£15,000 | £33,000 | £73,000 | £11,000 | £31,000 | -£10,000 | £0 | -£156,000 |
| per pupil | -£73 | £165 | £357 | £54 | £147 | -£46 | £2 | -£760 |
Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).
| Name | Distance |
|
CEWE School
St Catherine's Vicarage, Catherine Terrace, Wigan, Greater Manchester, WN1 3JW |
0.04 miles |
|
St Patrick's Catholic Primary School
Hardybutts, Wigan, Lancashire, WN1 3RZ |
0.14 miles |
|
Douglas Valley Nursery School
Turner Street, Wigan, WN1 3SU |
0.39 miles |
|
Britannia Bridge Primary School
Winifred Street, Lower Ince, Wigan, Lancashire, WN3 4SD |
0.53 miles |
|
St Mary and St John Catholic Primary School
Standishgate, Wigan, Lancashire, WN1 1XL |
0.53 miles |
|
St William's Catholic Primary School
Ince Green Lane, Ince-in-Makerfield, Ince, Wigan, Lancashire, WN2 2DG |
0.54 miles |
|
Mab's Cross Primary School
Standishgate, Wigan, Lancashire, WN1 1XL |
0.56 miles |
|
Ince CofE Primary School
Charles Street, Ince, Wigan, Lancashire, WN2 2AL |
0.61 miles |
|
Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery
Whelley, Wigan, Lancashire, WN2 1BP |
0.76 miles |
|
Holy Family RC Primary School, New Springs, Wigan
Longfield Street, New Springs, Wigan, Lancashire, WN2 1EL |
0.94 miles |
|
Woodfield Primary School
Wigan Lane, Wigan, Lancashire, WN1 2NT |
1.36 miles |
|
Wigan St Andrew's CofE Junior and Infant School
Mort Street, Springfield, Wigan, Lancashire, WN6 7AU |
1.45 miles |
|
St Benedict's Catholic Primary School Hindley
Abbott Street, Hindley, Wigan, Lancashire, WN2 3DG |
1.49 miles |
|
St Peter's Church of England Primary School, Hindley
Kildare Street, Hindley, Wigan, Lancashire, WN2 3HY |
1.57 miles |
|
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School
Springfield Road, Sacred Heart Rc School, Wigan, Lancashire, WN6 7RH |
1.6 miles |
|
St James' Church of England Primary School
Tyrer Avenue, Worsley Mesnes, Wigan, Lancashire, WN3 5XE |
1.62 miles |
|
Beech Hill Community Primary School
Netherby Road, Beech Hill, Wigan, Lancashire, WN6 7PT |
1.64 miles |
|
St Mary's CofE Primary School
Wright Street, Platt Bridge, Wigan, Lancashire, WN2 3NX |
1.65 miles |
|
St Mark's CofE Primary School
Alexandra Street, Newtown, Wigan, Lancashire, WN5 9DS |
1.65 miles |
|
Wigan Worsley Mesnes Community Primary School
Clifton Street, Worsley Mesnes, Wigan, Lancashire, WN3 5HN |
1.66 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Dean Trust Rose Bridge
Holt Street, Ince, Wigan, Greater Manchester, WN1 3HD |
0.28 miles |
|
Wigan and Leigh College
PO Box 53, Parson's Walk, Wigan, Lancashire, WN1 1RS |
0.74 miles |
|
The Deanery Church of England High School and Sixth Form College
Frog Lane, Wigan, Lancashire, WN1 1HQ |
0.85 miles |
|
Fix-It (UK) Ltd
Unit 6-7 Rosebridge Industrial Estate, Wigan, WN3 4TA |
1.43 miles |
|
Newbridge Learning Community
Moss Lane, Platt Bridge, Wigan, Lancashire, WN2 3TL |
1.64 miles |
|
St John Fisher Catholic High School
Baytree Road, Springfield, Wigan, Lancashire, WN6 7RN |
1.66 miles |
|
Expanse Learning Wigan School
Tyrer Avenue, Worsley Mesnes, Wigan, Greater Manchester, WN3 5XF |
1.68 miles |
|
Hawkley Hall High School
Carr Lane, Hawkley Hall, Wigan, Lancashire, WN3 5NY |
1.73 miles |
|
The Parks School
Market Street, Hindley, Hindley, WN2 3AN |
1.76 miles |
|
Infinite Schools Wigan
Harrow Road, Marsh Green, Pemberton, Wigan, Greater Manchester, WN5 0QL |
2.07 miles |
|
Hope School
Kelvin Grove, Marus Bridge, Wigan, Greater Manchester, WN3 6SP |
2.4 miles |
|
Outwood Academy Hindley
Mornington Road, Hindley, Wigan, Lancashire, WN2 4LG |
2.4 miles |
|
Oakfield High School and College
Long Lane, Hindley Green, Wigan, Greater Manchester, WN2 4XA |
2.72 miles |
|
Dean Trust Wigan
Greenhey, Orrell, Wigan, Greater Manchester, WN5 0DQ |
2.96 miles |
|
Landgate School, Bryn
Landgate Lane, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Bryn, Wigan, Greater Manchester, WN4 0EP |
2.98 miles |
|
My Oasis Therapeutic Alternative Provision
97 Heaton Street, Standish, Wigan, Greater Manchester, WN6 0DA |
3.24 miles |
|
St John Rigby RC Sixth Form College
Gathurst Road, Orrell, Wigan, Lancashire, WN5 0LJ |
3.36 miles |
|
St Peter's Catholic High School
Howards Lane, Orrell, Wigan, Lancashire, WN5 8NU |
3.43 miles |
|
Martha H School
Downall Green Road, Wigan, Greater Manchester, WN4 0LZ |
3.56 miles |
|
Shevington High School
Shevington Lane, Shevington, Wigan, Lancashire, WN6 8AB |
3.62 miles |
All schools in Wigan · Wigan local authority: places and applications
What is St Catharine's CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?
The latest Ofsted rating for St Catharine's CofE Primary School is Good, from an inspection in September 2023.
When was St Catharine's CofE Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?
St Catharine's CofE Primary School was last inspected in September 2023.
How many pupils does St Catharine's CofE Primary School have?
St Catharine's CofE Primary School has 205 pupils on roll.
What age range does St Catharine's CofE Primary School cover?
St Catharine's CofE Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.
What are St Catharine's CofE Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?
In 2025, 38% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.
Where is St Catharine's CofE Primary School?
St Catharine's CofE Primary School is at Scholefield Lane, Scholes, Wigan, Lancashire, WN1 3LP.