Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery

About Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery

Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery is a state primary in Wigan that is currently running below its physical capacity, with 343 pupils on roll against a school capacity of 410. That leaves some headroom, but the school is nonetheless oversubscribed for Reception entry in 2025/26: it received 52 applications for 41 places, with 37 of those coming as first preferences. The oversubscription ratio sits at 1.27, a modest but clear signal of local demand. More striking is the school's intake profile: 44.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average for primary schools (typically around 23-24%). This places Canon Sharples in a context where it serves a significantly more disadvantaged cohort than many of its Wigan neighbours, which is worth bearing in mind when comparing its academic outcomes against schools with a more affluent intake.

Academically, Canon Sharples delivers solid results that sit right on the local authority average. In the 2023/24 KS2 assessments, 65% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, exactly matching the Wigan LA average of 65%. That places the school 50th out of 98 primary schools in the borough, and 864th out of 2,065 in the North West region. The school's average scaled scores are respectable: 105 in maths and 104 in reading. Where it particularly shines is in the proportion of pupils reaching the higher standard in maths, at 20%, compared with 18% in reading and 14% in writing. The school's most recent graded Ofsted inspection in 2018 rated it Good overall, with leadership and management also Good. Its ungraded inspection in 2023 confirmed it remains Good, and notably, early years provision was judged Outstanding. That's a meaningful improvement from its previous inspection in 2013, which rated the school as Requires Improvement.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including a forest school, sensory room, chapel, sports hall and music rooms, plus clubs like film, science, chess and coding. Sports provision covers football, rounders, tennis, athletics and cross country. Its SEND support is comprehensive, covering specific learning difficulties, moderate and severe learning difficulties, speech and language needs, hearing impairment, autistic spectrum disorder and social, emotional and mental health needs. For families considering this school, the key takeaway is that it serves a high-needs community with above-average FSM eligibility, yet still delivers outcomes bang on the LA average. It's a good fit for families who value a Church of England ethos, a strong early years foundation, and a school that is actively oversubscribed but not impossibly so. The nearest Outstanding-rated primary is Holy Family Catholic Primary School, just 0.6 km away, which may be worth a look for comparison.

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