St John Fisher Catholic High School

St John Fisher Catholic High School is a mainstream Catholic secondary school with around 994 pupils. Inspectors found safeguarding standards met and a positive, caring ethos that pupils and staff call the ‘Fisher family’. Pupils feel safe, valued and well supported. Personal development and wellbeing is a standout feature, with a comprehensive PSHE programme, strong pastoral care, wide clubs and trips, well-established careers guidance, and leadership opportunities for all pupils. Attendance has improved, behaviour is calm and orderly, and inclusion is at the heart of the school, with strong support for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND. However, the quality of education is not yet consistently strong, and achievement and curriculum/teaching require attention. Pupils’ work sometimes shows gaps, unfinished work and uncorrected errors, meaning some do not secure key knowledge and skills. Progress across subjects is variable, and at the end of key stage 4 attainment is below national averages over time. The mathematics strategy is less developed and not fully embedded. Teaching adaptations and assessment practices are not consistently applied, so some pupils do not receive the precise support or challenge they need. Leadership and governance are generally effective, with clear purpose, high aspirations and a supportive staff culture. Leaders have an accurate view of the school and have strategies in place to improve curriculum delivery and outcomes. Disadvantaged pupils’ achievement has improved and is now close to national average. The main priorities are to ensure assessment addresses gaps in pupils’ knowledge, adapt the curriculum to meet all pupils’ needs, and embed agreed teaching strategies consistently across the school.

Strengths

• Personal development and wellbeing is a significant strength, with a well-structured PSHE programme.
• Pupils develop a strong understanding of tolerance, kindness, respect and British values.
• Wellbeing and mental health support is integral, including initiatives such as ‘tea and talk’.
• Pupil leadership opportunities are available to all, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.
• A wide range of clubs, visits and trips, including rugby, dance and the Duke of Edinburgh's award.
• Careers education is well established from Year 7, with independent advice and whole-school events.
• Leaders have taken decisive action to improve attendance, reducing persistent absence.
• Behaviour is calm and orderly, with courteous pupils and positive staff-pupil interactions.
• Effective behaviour systems and restorative approaches mean disruption is rare.
• Bullying is rare and dealt with efficiently.
• Inclusion is at the heart of the school, with targeted support from Year 7.
• Strong relationships with primary schools and external partners help meet pupils’ needs.
• Staff receive training in adaptive teaching to remove barriers to learning.
• Leaders use additional funding effectively and review its impact carefully.
• Governance is effective, providing appropriate support and challenge.
• Staff feel valued, with practical steps to manage workload and support wellbeing.
• Pupils feel safe, valued and part of the ‘Fisher family’.
• Reading interventions are having a positive impact, including for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.
• Disadvantaged pupils’ achievement has improved and is now close to national average.
• Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain and their future careers.

Areas for Improvement

• Achievement requires attention; pupils’ work shows gaps, unfinished work and uncorrected errors.
• Some pupils do not secure key knowledge and skills, and progress across subjects is variable.
• At the end of key stage 4, pupils’ attainment is below national averages over time.
• Progress 8 has been below the national average.
• The mathematics strategy is less developed and not fully embedded.
• Curriculum and teaching require attention due to variation in precise delivery.
• Adaptations for pupils with barriers to learning are not consistently applied.
• Assessment does not always check pupils’ knowledge and understanding effectively.
• Challenge is inconsistent, so some pupils do not close gaps or secure knowledge before moving on.
• Agreed teaching strategies and practice are not consistently embedded across the school.

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 John Fisher Catholic High School attended 91.1% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 24.8% 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, 5.9% of pupils at St John Fisher Catholic High School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 5 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 John Fisher Catholic High School had 16.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 13.7% 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, 20.3% of pupils at St John Fisher Catholic High School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.1% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

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 St John Fisher Catholic High School received £8,179 and spent £8,337 for each of its 999 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £267,000 (-£267 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).

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All schools in Wigan · Wigan local authority: places and applications

What is St John Fisher Catholic High School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St John Fisher Catholic High School is Needs attention, from an inspection in July 2026.

When was St John Fisher Catholic High School last inspected by Ofsted?

St John Fisher Catholic High School was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does St John Fisher Catholic High School have?

St John Fisher Catholic High School has 998 pupils on roll.

What age range does St John Fisher Catholic High School cover?

St John Fisher Catholic High School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are St John Fisher Catholic High School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 45.5, and 34% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is St John Fisher Catholic High School?

St John Fisher Catholic High School is at Baytree Road, Springfield, Wigan, Lancashire, WN6 7RN.