Westleigh St Paul's CofE Primary School

Westleigh St Paul’s CofE Primary School continues to maintain the standards identified in its previous inspection, demonstrating effective actions since the last evaluation. The school creates a warm and supportive environment where pupils feel happy, safe, and respected. The commitment to high expectations for all learners, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, has resulted in many pupils achieving well across the curriculum. However, areas for curriculum improvement are ongoing, particularly in the early years, and some inconsistencies in curriculum delivery need to be addressed promptly to enhance learning outcomes further.

Strengths

• Pupils show high levels of happiness and feel safe at school.
• There is a strong emphasis on early reading and effective phonics instruction.
• Teachers provide timely feedback to pupils, aiding their understanding.
• Pupils are encouraged to take on responsibilities, enhancing their leadership skills.
• The school has effective procedures for identifying and supporting SEND pupils.

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum delivery has inconsistencies that need to be addressed.
• Oversight by the governing body regarding strategic improvement is not robust enough.

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 Westleigh St Paul's CofE Primary School attended 94.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 18.1% 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, 2.9% of pupils at Westleigh St Paul's CofE 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 Westleigh St Paul's CofE Primary School had 19.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 8.4% 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, 31.7% of pupils at Westleigh St Paul's CofE Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.3% 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 Westleigh St Paul's CofE Primary School received £8,218 and spent £7,954 for each of its 205 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £796,000 (£3,885 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 Westleigh St Paul's CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Westleigh St Paul's CofE Primary School is Good, from an inspection in November 2024.

When was Westleigh St Paul's CofE Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Westleigh St Paul's CofE Primary School was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does Westleigh St Paul's CofE Primary School have?

Westleigh St Paul's CofE Primary School has 205 pupils on roll.

What age range does Westleigh St Paul's CofE Primary School cover?

Westleigh St Paul's CofE Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Westleigh St Paul's CofE Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

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

Where is Westleigh St Paul's CofE Primary School?

Westleigh St Paul's CofE Primary School is at School Street, Leigh, Lancashire, WN7 5JN.