Castle Hill St Philip's CofE Primary School

About Castle Hill St Philip's CofE Primary School

Castle Hill St Philip's CofE Primary School was rated Good in its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023, with every inspected category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, early years provision, and leadership and management — all judged to be Good. That consistency is worth noting, but the headline academic story comes from the school's Key Stage 2 results for the 2023/24 cohort. Sixty per cent of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is five percentage points below the Wigan local authority average of 65%. The school ranks 63rd out of 98 primary schools in the borough on this measure, placing it in the bottom half locally and the bottom 50% nationally. That said, individual subject scores tell a more nuanced story: 83% of pupils reached the expected standard in maths, with an average scaled score of 106, and 73% did so in writing.

Looking beyond the combined headline, the picture is mixed. Reading was the weakest area, with 63% at expected standard and an average scaled score of 104. At the higher standard — working at greater depth — the school saw 23% in reading, 23% in maths, 17% in writing, and just 13% across all three subjects. These figures suggest that while the majority of children are securing the basics, fewer are stretching into the top tier compared with stronger-performing local primaries. The school's Progress 8 scores for reading, writing and maths are all missing from the data, so it's hard to say how much value the school adds relative to pupils' starting points. In its Ofsted report, inspectors noted that behaviour and attitudes were Good, and the school's leadership was described as maintaining a clear direction. With 43.1% of pupils eligible for free school meals — well above the national average — the school serves a community with higher-than-typical disadvantage, which may partly explain the gap to the LA average.

The school is oversubscribed for 2025/26, with 49 applications for 29 places and 21 first-preference offers made, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.69. It's a Church of England primary with a strong set of facilities including a sports hall, music rooms, playing fields, a forest school, a sensory room, and a chapel. SEND provision is broad, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language needs, hearing and visual impairments, and autistic spectrum disorder. Clubs include coding, choir, film club, drama and gardening, while sports on offer are football, cricket, dance, gymnastics and swimming. For families who value a well-resourced primary with a clear Christian character and a supportive approach to SEND, Castle Hill St Philip's is a solid local option — though those prioritising top-tier academic outcomes may want to look at nearby schools like Nicol Mere or Gilded Hollins, which rank higher on the combined expected standard.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About Castle Hill St Philip's CofE Primary School

Helpful Guides for Parents