St Oswald's Catholic Primary School
St Oswald's Catholic Primary School is a voluntary aided school in Wigan for pupils aged 4 to 11. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It has 242 pupils on roll. The latest Ofsted rating for St Oswald's Catholic Primary School is Good, from an inspection in January 2023. In 2025, 52% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.
Ofsted inspection: January 2023. KS2 results: 2025.
| Type | Primary / Voluntary aided school |
| Age Range | 4-11 |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Address | Council Avenue Ashton-in-Makerfield Wigan Lancashire WN4 9AZ |
| Phone | 01942724820 |
| Reference Number | 106488 |
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 242 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 49.17%
Girls: 50.83% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 19% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 2.9% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 30.3 |
| Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher | 28.5 |
| Average size of Key Stage 2 classes taught by one teacher | 31 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | 20 | 30 |
| 2 | 15 | 12 | 27 |
| 3 | 14 | 17 | 31 |
| 4 | 17 | 9 | 26 |
| 5 | 22 | 25 | 47 |
| 6 | 26 | 25 | 51 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 92.1% |
| White, Other | 1.7% |
| Asian, Other | 1.2% |
| Chinese | 0.8% |
| African | 0.8% |
| Mixed, Other | 0.8% |
| Irish | 0.4% |
St Oswald’s Catholic Primary School continues to demonstrate good performance and is characterized by a vibrant learning environment where pupils feel safe and valued. The school's leadership emphasizes an ambitious curriculum that meets the diverse needs of its students, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Pupils express happiness and pride in their school, making strong recommendations for others to attend. Overall, the school has established a commendable culture that supports both academic and personal development for its pupils.
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Good |
| Last Report Date | 02 Nov 2022 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 02 Nov 2022 | School inspection |
| 04 Jul 2017 | Short inspection |
| 12 Jun 2013 | Full inspection: |
| 07 Jan 2011 | Interim assessment |
| 24 Jun 2008 | Full inspection: |
| 24 Jan 2005 | Full inspection |
Strengths
- Pupils are eager to learn and enjoy their educational experiences.
- Strong emphasis on mental health and well-being support.
- Effective safeguarding measures are in place.
- Leaders have developed an ambitious curriculum.
- Pupils learn to appreciate diversity and respect differences.
- Teachers have secure subject knowledge and check on pupil learning effectively.
- Strong support for pupils with SEND to access the curriculum.
Areas for Improvement
- In a few subjects, key knowledge for teachers has not been made clear enough, leading to potential gaps in pupils' learning.
How many students meet the standards
| Reading, Writing & Maths | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils meeting the expected standard | 52% | 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 | -2.6 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Writing | 1.9 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Maths | -2.9 | 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 Oswald's Catholic 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 | 13 | 2 |
| Third Preference | 5 | 0 |
| From another Local Authority | 3 | 2 |
Previous years
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UnlockPlaces and pupil numbers
In 2024–25 St Oswald's Catholic Primary School had 256 pupils for 349 places. 93 places (26.6%) were unfilled.
Pupils and places
Reception intake in the “Area 8: Ashton Primary” planning area
Wigan counted 205 Reception pupils in this area in 2024–25 and forecasts 183 in 2029–30, down 11%.
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Places | 349 | 349 | 349 | 349 | 349 | 349 | 349 | 349 | 349 | 349 | 349 | 349 | 349 | 349 | 349 |
| Pupils | 337 | 339 | 346 | 348 | 350 | 349 | 350 | 340 | 340 | 332 | 324 | 304 | 297 | 275 | 256 |
| Unfilled | 3.4% | 2.9% | 0.9% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 4.9% | 7.2% | 12.9% | 14.9% | 21.2% | 26.6% |
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 Oswald's Catholic Primary School attended 95.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 11.3% 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 | 2.3% | 2.9% | 3.0% | 3.5% | 3.2% | 2.9% | 2.8% | 4.7% | 3.7% | 4.3% | 3.6% |
| Unauthorised absence | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.6% | 0.7% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 1.0% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.3% |
| Severely absent pupils | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.3% | 1.7% | 0.7% | 0.0% | 0.4% | 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, 0.4% of pupils at St Oswald's Catholic 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 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 3.8 | 0.3 | 2.7 | 1.9 | 0.8 |
| 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 Oswald's Catholic Primary School had 19.5 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
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils per adult | 12.1 | 15.0 | 14.8 | 15.1 | 11.7 | 10.8 | 10.9 | 11.3 | 11.7 | 11.3 | 11.1 | 10.8 | 11.3 | 10.8 | 11.0 | 11.3 |
| Teachers who left state teaching | 13.4% | 7.9% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 3.5% | 12.0% | 13.6% | 4.1% | 7.4% | 7.4% | 6.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | – |
| Teachers who took any sick leave | 0.0% | 28.6% | 7.7% | 0.0% | 11.8% | 33.3% | 11.8% | 40.0% | 28.6% | – | 25.0% | 50.0% | 31.3% | 28.6% | 50.0% | – |
| Sick days per teacher | 0.0 | 3.6 | 1.6 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 6.1 | 0.7 | 4.1 | 3.9 | – | 8.0 | 1.5 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 1.2 | – |
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, 18.6% of pupils at St Oswald's Catholic Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.9% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).
Pupils by main type of need
| SEN support | EHC plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Moderate learning difficulty | 25 | 1 |
| Speech, language and communication needs | 11 | 3 |
| Social, emotional and mental health | 5 | 1 |
| Specific learning difficulty | 1 | 1 |
| Hearing impairment | 1 | 0 |
| No specialist assessment of need | 1 | 0 |
| Other difficulty or disability | 0 | 1 |
| Vision impairment | 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 Oswald's Catholic Primary School received £6,461 and spent £6,855 for each of its 242 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £98,000 (-£406 per pupil).
Income per pupil
Spending per pupil
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue reserve | £42,000 | £45,000 | £99,000 | £179,000 | £93,000 | £74,000 | -£3,000 | -£98,000 |
| per pupil | £124 | £139 | £310 | £616 | £315 | £274 | -£11 | -£406 |
| In-year balance | -£62,000 | £4,000 | £53,000 | £80,000 | -£87,000 | -£19,000 | -£76,000 | -£95,000 |
| per pupil | -£184 | £12 | £167 | £276 | -£295 | -£70 | -£305 | -£394 |
Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).
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All schools in Wigan · Wigan local authority: places and applications
What is St Oswald's Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?
The latest Ofsted rating for St Oswald's Catholic Primary School is Good, from an inspection in January 2023.
When was St Oswald's Catholic Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?
St Oswald's Catholic Primary School was last inspected in January 2023.
How many pupils does St Oswald's Catholic Primary School have?
St Oswald's Catholic Primary School has 242 pupils on roll.
What age range does St Oswald's Catholic Primary School cover?
St Oswald's Catholic Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.
What are St Oswald's Catholic Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?
In 2025, 52% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.
Where is St Oswald's Catholic Primary School?
St Oswald's Catholic Primary School is at Council Avenue, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan, Lancashire, WN4 9AZ.