St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-Makerfield

St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School is performing strongly, with pupils consistently achieving well across various subjects and maintaining above-average outcomes in national examinations. The school has established an exemplary culture of safeguarding and has made significant efforts to support disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs, ensuring they can access a high-quality curriculum. Behaviour is exemplary, with pupils demonstrating self-regulation and respect. The school's leadership is effective, fostering an environment of continuous improvement and professional development for staff.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve consistently well across the curriculum.
• Strong performance in national examinations, especially in English and mathematics.
• High attendance rates above national figures.
• Exemplary behaviour and attitudes to learning.
• A broad and ambitious curriculum that is well-sequenced.
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs.
• Strong professional learning opportunities for staff.
• Well-developed personal development and wellbeing programme.

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 Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-Makerfield attended 93.0% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 17.1% 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 St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-Makerfield were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 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 Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-Makerfield had 16.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 6.2% 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, 12.0% of pupils at St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-Makerfield were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.9% 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 Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-Makerfield received £7,547 and spent £7,708 for each of its 1,204 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £362,000 (£301 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

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What is St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-Makerfield's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-Makerfield is Strong standard, from an inspection in May 2026.

When was St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-Makerfield last inspected by Ofsted?

St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-Makerfield was last inspected in May 2026.

How many pupils does St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-Makerfield have?

St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-Makerfield has 1,204 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-Makerfield cover?

St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-Makerfield for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-Makerfield's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 50.4, and 54% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-Makerfield?

St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-Makerfield is at Rookery Avenue, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan, Lancashire, WN4 9PF.