Leigh Westleigh Methodist Primary School

About Leigh Westleigh Methodist Primary School

Leigh Westleigh Methodist Primary School holds a Good rating from Ofsted, a grade it earned in its most recent graded inspection in 2015 and maintained in an ungraded inspection in 2025 where inspectors confirmed standards were still being kept up. The school’s most telling exam metric is the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined at Key Stage 2, which sits at 53%. That is notably below the Wigan local authority average of 65% and places the school 81st out of 98 primary schools in the borough, putting it in the bottom half of local rankings. Nationally, it sits around the 73rd percentile among all primary schools. The picture is mixed when you look at individual subjects: 77% of pupils met expectations in writing, 70% in reading, and 67% in maths. Only 7% of pupils reached the higher standard across all three subjects, though 27% did so in writing alone.

The school’s Ofsted history shows it was previously rated Outstanding in 2007, with top marks for early years provision, leadership and overall effectiveness at that time. The current Good rating reflects a step down, but inspectors noted that leadership and management remain Good, and early years provision is also rated Good. The school has 236 pupils on roll, which is above its stated capacity of 210, and it is oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 intake there were 58 applications for 30 places, with 34 of those as first preferences. The parent view survey, based on 12 responses, is sharply divided. While 58% of parents strongly agreed or agreed that their child is happy and feels safe, a third strongly disagreed on both counts. Only half of respondents would recommend the school to another parent, and views on behaviour, bullying and how concerns are handled show significant dissatisfaction among a minority.

Leigh Westleigh is a Methodist primary school with nursery provision for children from age two, and it offers a range of facilities including a Forest School, ICT suite, gymnasium and chapel. Sports on offer include gymnastics, netball, cricket and swimming, and there are clubs such as Eco Club, drama and choir. The school lists SEND support for a wide range of needs, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language communication needs, and social, emotional and mental health difficulties. With 31.2% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a community with above-average disadvantage. For families considering it, the key takeaway is that while the school is popular enough to be oversubscribed, its academic outcomes are below the local average and parent opinion is notably split. It may suit families who value its Methodist character, nursery provision and broad extracurricular offer, but those prioritising strong KS2 results may want to look at higher-performing local options such as Nicol Mere School or Gilded Hollins Community School.

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