Golborne High School
107%
Capacity
1,147
Pupils
2.1x
Demand
About Golborne High School
Golborne High School sits within Wigan local authority, a mixed secondary for 11 to 16 year olds that stands out in a competitive local landscape. It is one of only a single school in the borough rated Outstanding by Ofsted, and ranks third out of 19 state secondaries in Wigan by Progress 8 score. Its closest peers by the same metric include St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Atherton High School, and Standish Community High School, all within a tight band of scores. Headteacher Alison Stott leads a school that is significantly oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, 278 families put it as their first preference, and the school received 454 total applications for just 219 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.07. With 23.1 per cent of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a broadly representative community while clearly attracting strong local demand.
Academically, Golborne delivers solid results that sit comfortably above the local authority average. Its Progress 8 score of -0.05 is described as average nationally, but compares favourably to the Wigan LA average of -0.3, meaning pupils here make slightly better progress than peers across the borough. Attainment 8 sits at 48.2, and 69.9 per cent of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in both English and maths, with 50.9 per cent reaching the higher grade 5 threshold. The EBacc average point score is 4.37, and 63 per cent of pupils entered the EBacc combination of subjects. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2023, the school received Outstanding across every category: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. This marks a clear improvement from its previous Good rating in 2013, reflecting sustained progress under current leadership.
The school offers a wide range of facilities including a swimming pool, theatre, astro turf, tennis courts, and music rooms, alongside clubs such as Debate, Science Club, Film Club, Duke of Edinburgh, and Gardening. Sports provision covers football, netball, tennis, dance, swimming, cross country, and rowing. For families with children who have additional needs, the school lists provisions for specific learning difficulties including dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social emotional and mental health needs, speech language and communication needs, hearing impairment, physical disability, autistic spectrum disorder, and other difficulties. There is no sixth form or nursery provision. Given its strong Ofsted rating, above-average progress compared to the local authority, and high oversubscription, Golborne is a popular choice for Wigan families seeking a well-regarded mainstream secondary that balances academic expectations with a broad extracurricular offer.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 16 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | None |
| Address | Lowton Road, Warrington, Wigan, WA3 3EL |
| Headteacher | Alison Stott |
| Local Authority | Wigan |
| Number of Pupils | 1,147 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 23.1% |
| School Capacity | 1,147 / 1,075 (107% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
11 Jan 2023Overall Effectiveness
Outstanding
Source: Ofsted, 8 Mar 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.05)
1646th of 3,141
Nationally
180th of 445
In North West
3rd of 19
In Wigan
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make similar progress to students nationally with the same starting point
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/231%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 173 pupils).
- Sixth form college49%
- FE college35%
- Apprenticeship7%
- Employment6%
- Not sustained2%
- School sixth form (stay)1%
98% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
11Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
12Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed219
454
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
278 families put this school as their 1st choice (61% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:25 – 14:55
Source: golbornehigh.wigan.sch.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British84.7%
- Asian8.3%
- White (other)2.0%
- Mixed1.8%
- Black0.4%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
7
Total schools
7
Oversubscribed
6
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Golborne High School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Lowton Road, Warrington
Wigan, WA3 3EL
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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