Highfield St Matthew's Church of England Primary School

Highfield St Matthew's Church of England Primary School is performing well overall, having received a good rating across all areas of assessment in its first routine inspection. The school offers a rich curriculum that engages students and promotes strong behaviour, leading to a safe and harmonious environment. Staff have high expectations, and pupils respond positively, actively participating in their learning. The school's approach to safeguarding is robust, ensuring the well-being of all students, including those with special educational needs.

Strengths

• Pupils experience a wide range of interesting and engaging activities.
• Leaders have established a culture of high expectations.
• Teachers have secure subject knowledge and provide effective checks on pupils' learning.
• Early years provision is strong, focusing on speech and language development.
• Pupils are encouraged to participate in extra-curricular activities.
• High ambitions are set for pupils with SEND, ensuring they receive necessary support.

Areas for Improvement

• In a small number of subjects, pupils' knowledge and skills are not as secure due to less opportunity to revisit content.

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 Highfield St Matthew's Church of England Primary School attended 95.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.0% 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, 0.7% of pupils at Highfield St Matthew's Church of England Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was 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 Highfield St Matthew's Church of England Primary School had 21.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.1% 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, 11.8% of pupils at Highfield St Matthew's Church of England Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.7% 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 Highfield St Matthew's Church of England Primary School received £6,022 and spent £6,130 for each of its 408 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £237,000 (£581 per pupil).

Across all 18 schools of Liverpool Diocesan Schools Trust, income was £7,382 and spending £7,357 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.

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

Highfield St Matthew's Church of England Primary School is part of Liverpool Diocesan Schools Trust, which runs 19 schools. The nearest others:

• St Paul's Church of England Primary School Wigan
• St James' Church of England Primary School Wigan
• Bishop Martin Church of England Primary School Skelmersdale
• St James' Church of England Primary School St Helens
• Rainford CofE Primary School St Helens
• Parish Church of England Primary School, St Helens St Helens
• Glazebury Church of England Primary School Warrington
• St Philip (Westbrook) CofE Primary School Warrington
• Cronton Church of England Primary Academy Widnes
• Huyton With Roby Church of England Primary School Liverpool

What is Highfield St Matthew's Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Highfield St Matthew's Church of England Primary School is Good, from an inspection in April 2023.

When was Highfield St Matthew's Church of England Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Highfield St Matthew's Church of England Primary School was last inspected in April 2023.

How many pupils does Highfield St Matthew's Church of England Primary School have?

Highfield St Matthew's Church of England Primary School has 415 pupils on roll.

What age range does Highfield St Matthew's Church of England Primary School cover?

Highfield St Matthew's Church of England Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Highfield St Matthew's Church of England Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 81% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Highfield St Matthew's Church of England Primary School?

Highfield St Matthew's Church of England Primary School is at Billinge Road, Pemberton, Wigan, Lancashire, WN3 6BL.