Hawkley Hall High School
98%
Capacity
1,164
Pupils
1.5x
Demand
About Hawkley Hall High School
Hawkley Hall High School sits within Wigan local authority, a mixed 11-16 state secondary that ranks 7th out of 19 schools in the area on Progress 8, placing it in the top half of its local peers. Among the strongest performers nearby are St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Atherton High School, and Golborne High School, all of which post higher Progress 8 scores. With 1,164 pupils on roll and a capacity of 1,184, the school is close to full, and its 24.4 per cent of pupils eligible for free school meals is above the national average. The school does not have a sixth form or nursery provision, and it is not a boarding school. Its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2024 judged the school as Good across all four graded areas: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. This is consistent with its previous Good rating from February 2019.
Academically, Hawkley Hall’s Progress 8 score of -0.14 is above the Wigan local authority average of -0.3, meaning pupils make slightly more progress than the typical student in the area. The school’s Attainment 8 score of 44.9 reflects a solid set of GCSE results, with 68.8 per cent of pupils achieving a grade 4 or above in English and maths, and 46.2 per cent achieving a grade 5 or above. The English Progress 8 score of 0.34 is notably strong, while maths Progress 8 sits at -0.33, indicating a gap between the two subjects. Only 9 per cent of pupils entered the EBacc, and 7.2 per cent achieved it at grade 4 or above. The school’s EBacc average point score is 3.68. Nationally, Hawkley Hall ranks 1,877th out of 3,141 schools on Progress 8, placing it in the bottom 50 per cent of schools overall.
The school offers a wide range of facilities including a swimming pool, sports hall, astro turf, tennis courts, science labs, music rooms, and a library. Sports on offer include athletics, cricket, rugby, football, rowing, and gymnastics, while clubs range from Debate and Drama to Eco Club and Young Enterprise. SEND provisions cover eight areas including Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Speech, Language & Communication, and Social, Emotional & Mental Health, though the Parent View survey shows that 60 per cent of respondents disagreed that the school gives SEND children the support they need. The school was oversubscribed for 2025/26 admissions, with 327 applications for 214 places and 191 first-preference offers. Just over half of parents (51 per cent) would recommend the school. Hawkley Hall suits families looking for a large, well-resourced secondary in Wigan with a strong English department and a broad extracurricular programme, though those prioritising EBacc entry or SEND support may want to investigate further.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 16 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Carr Lane, Wigan, Wigan, WN3 5NY |
| Headteacher | Paul McKendrick |
| Local Authority | Wigan |
| Number of Pupils | 1,164 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 24.4% |
| School Capacity | 1,164 / 1,184 (98% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
19 Nov 2024Quality of Education
Good
Since Sep 2024, Ofsted no longer assigns a single overall grade
Source: Ofsted, 15 Dec 2024. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.14)
1877th of 3,141
Nationally
218th of 445
In North West
7th 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: 200 pupils).
- Sixth form college48%
- FE college37%
- Apprenticeship7%
- Employment4%
- Not sustained4%
- School sixth form (stay)1%
96% 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.
Ofsted Parent View
175 responsesWould Recommend This School
Source: Ofsted Parent View (GOV.UK statistical data), Sep – Sep 2025
SEND Support
Resourced ProvisionSource: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
11Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
20Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed214
327
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
191 families put this school as their 1st choice (58% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:40 – 15:10
Source: hhhs.net. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than half of schools in England.
Better than half 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 British90.8%
- Mixed2.6%
- Asian1.8%
- White (other)1.5%
- Black0.3%
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.
6
Total schools
6
Oversubscribed
5
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 Hawkley Hall 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
Carr Lane, Wigan
Wigan, WN3 5NY
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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