Cansfield High School

Cansfield High School is performing at a good level overall, with a caring environment that supports pupil development. The school's curriculum has been enhanced to be broad and ambitious, allowing students to achieve well across most subjects. Staff are well-informed and provide adequate support, especially for pupils with special educational needs. However, there are areas for improvement, particularly in how teachers design learning activities that engage all students deeply and in promoting cultural understanding among pupils.

Strengths

• Pupils feel proud and supported in a caring atmosphere.
• High expectations for student achievement, including those with SEND.
• Effective personal development program promoting safety and responsibilities.
• Strong support for reading development.
• Well-trained staff who understand pupils' additional needs.

Areas for Improvement

• Some learning activities do not allow pupils to cover subject content in sufficient depth.
• Limited opportunities for pupils to learn about and celebrate different cultures and faiths.

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 Cansfield High School attended 93.0% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 18.9% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

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, 4.1% of pupils at Cansfield High School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 3 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 Cansfield High School had 17.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.1% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

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, 21.3% of pupils at Cansfield High School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.8% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 6 pupils.

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 secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Cansfield High School received £9,069 and spent £8,959 for each of its 974 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,124,000 (£1,154 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 Cansfield High School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Cansfield High School is Good, from an inspection in July 2024.

When was Cansfield High School last inspected by Ofsted?

Cansfield High School was last inspected in July 2024.

How many pupils does Cansfield High School have?

Cansfield High School has 974 pupils on roll.

What age range does Cansfield High School cover?

Cansfield High School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Cansfield High School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 41.7, and 36% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Cansfield High School?

Cansfield High School is at Old Road, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan, Lancashire, WN4 9TP.