Holy Family Catholic Academy

About Holy Family Catholic Academy

Holy Family Catholic Academy is a state primary school in Wigan, run by headteacher Rebecca Crawley, and it sits comfortably within the top quarter of all primary schools in the local authority. Among 99 same-type schools in Wigan, it ranks 25th, placing it ahead of the majority of its peers. The top-performing schools in the area are Nicol Mere School, Gilded Hollins Community School, and Standish St Wilfrid's Church of England Primary Academy, all of which score higher on the same ranking metric. Holy Family is a Roman Catholic school with a nursery provision for children aged two, and it currently has 247 pupils on roll, which is above its official capacity of 210. The school has a notably high proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at 41.7%, well above the national average, and it was rated Good in its most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2025, a rating it has held consistently across both its recent inspections.

Academically, Holy Family performs strongly at Key Stage 2, with 76% of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths combined. This is comfortably above the Wigan local authority average of 65%. In maths, 95% of pupils met the expected standard, and 43% achieved the higher standard, with an average scaled score of 109. Reading saw 95% of pupils at the expected level and 24% at the higher standard, with an average score of 108. Writing was slightly lower, with 76% reaching the expected standard and just 5% hitting the higher mark. Nationally, the school ranks in the top 18% of all primaries, and in the North West region it sits in the top 16%. The Ofsted inspection rated all areas as Good, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management, with early years provision also judged Good.

The school is oversubscribed for the 2025/26 intake, with 38 applications for 27 places and 25 first-preference offers made, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.41. Facilities include a library, art studios, music rooms, a chapel, a sensory room, and a forest school, plus outdoor playing fields and playgrounds. Sports on offer include gymnastics, football, swimming, rounders, tennis, and athletics, while clubs include coding, art, chess, and choir. The school lists a wide range of SEND provisions, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and physical disabilities. Parent feedback is strong, with 88% of respondents saying they would recommend the school, and high levels of agreement that children are happy and feel safe. This is a school that suits families looking for a faith-based, community-focused primary with solid academic results and a broad range of support.

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