Leigh Westleigh Methodist Primary School

Leigh Westleigh Methodist Primary School has successfully sustained the standards from its previous inspection and continues to provide a welcoming environment for its pupils. The commitment of leadership, particularly from the headteacher, is evident, along with a strong culture of respect and inclusion. Pupils display enthusiasm for learning and engage actively in school activities, supported by a refined and ambitious curriculum that addresses the needs of all students, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). While the overall atmosphere is positive, there are noted gaps in knowledge for some pupils due to past curriculum weaknesses, which the school is actively working to address.

Strengths

• Pupils express happiness and friendliness towards visitors.
• High aspirations for pupils’ achievement and behavior.
• Effective support for staff wellbeing from the trust.
• Ambitious and well-structured curriculum, particularly for SEND and disadvantaged pupils.
• Strong reading support leading to fluent reading by Year 2.
• Good personal development and understanding of British values.
• Pupils demonstrate respect, tolerance, and celebrate diversity.

Areas for Improvement

• Some gaps in pupils' knowledge due to weaknesses in the previous curriculum.
• Inconsistent communication skills in writing across the curriculum.

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 Leigh Westleigh Methodist Primary School attended 93.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 15.7% 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, 4.2% of pupils at Leigh Westleigh Methodist 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 Leigh Westleigh Methodist Primary School had 18.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 8.6% 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, 17.1% of pupils at Leigh Westleigh Methodist Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 9.8% 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 2024–25 Leigh Westleigh Methodist Primary School received £7,810 and spent £7,192 for each of its 226 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £298,000 (£1,322 per pupil).

Across all 11 schools of Epworth Education Trust, income was £7,330 and spending £7,127 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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

Leigh Westleigh Methodist Primary School is part of Epworth Education Trust, which runs 11 schools. The nearest others:

• Bedford Hall Methodist Primary School Leigh
• Wesley Methodist Primary School Manchester
• Nutgrove Methodist Primary School St Helens
• Summerseat Methodist Primary School Bury
• Leyland Methodist Junior School Leyland
• Leyland Methodist Infant School Leyland
• Hey-with-Zion Primary School Oldham
• Rosehill Methodist Primary Academy Ashton-Under-Lyne
• Wheatley Lane Methodist Primary School Burnley
• Bakewell Methodist Academy Bakewell

What is Leigh Westleigh Methodist Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Leigh Westleigh Methodist Primary School is Good, from an inspection in April 2025.

When was Leigh Westleigh Methodist Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Leigh Westleigh Methodist Primary School was last inspected in April 2025.

How many pupils does Leigh Westleigh Methodist Primary School have?

Leigh Westleigh Methodist Primary School has 234 pupils on roll.

What age range does Leigh Westleigh Methodist Primary School cover?

Leigh Westleigh Methodist Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Leigh Westleigh Methodist Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 42% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Leigh Westleigh Methodist Primary School?

Leigh Westleigh Methodist Primary School is at Westleigh Lane, Leigh, Lancashire, WN7 5NJ.