Lowton Church of England High School

About Lowton Church of England High School

Lowton Church of England High School is a mixed secondary for pupils aged 11 to 16, currently home to 819 students against a capacity of 850. That leaves a small amount of headroom, but the school is clearly in demand: for the 2025/26 admissions cycle, it received 338 applications for 145 places, an oversubscription ratio of 2.33, with 117 first-preference offers made. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 26.9%, which is notably higher than the national average for secondary schools (around 23-24%) and reflects the school’s role in serving a community with above-average economic need within the Wigan borough. As a Church of England school, it has a religious character that may appeal to families seeking a values-based setting, though the data doesn’t specify any faith-based admissions criteria. The headteacher is Jane Galbraith.

Academically, Lowton’s most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2023 rated the school Good across the board, including for quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. This marks a clear improvement from its previous inspection in June 2019, when it was rated Requires Improvement. In the 2023/24 exam results, pupils achieved a Progress 8 score of -0.17, which is above the Wigan local authority average of -0.3, placing the school 8th out of 19 secondary schools in the borough. The Attainment 8 score was 44.9, and 55.6% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths. The EBacc entry rate was low at 13.8%, and the EBacc average point score was 3.76. Nationally, Lowton ranks in the bottom 50% for Progress 8, but within the North West it sits around the median.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including science labs, a sports hall, library, music rooms, a swimming pool, and a chapel. Sports provision is broad, with rowing, gymnastics, swimming, cricket, tennis, rugby, netball, and athletics available. There’s also a good selection of clubs, from Young Enterprise and coding to eco club and drama. For pupils with additional needs, the school lists provisions for a wide range of conditions including dyslexia, autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language difficulties, and physical disabilities. There is no sixth form, so students will need to plan for post-16 options elsewhere. Given its oversubscription, families should be prepared to apply early and list it as a first preference. Lowton suits families who want a Good-rated, inclusive secondary with strong community ties and a faith background, and who value the breadth of extracurricular activities on offer.

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