St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Wigan
107%
Capacity
336
Pupils
2.1x
Demand
About St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Wigan
St Aidan's Catholic Primary School in Wigan is a Roman Catholic state primary that is noticeably oversubscribed, a clear signal of local demand. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 79 applications for just 37 places, with all 37 first-preference applicants receiving offers. That works out at 2.14 applications per place. The school currently has 336 pupils on roll against a capacity of 315, so it is running slightly above its official number. Just 3.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the national average and a figure that suggests a relatively affluent intake compared with many Wigan primaries. The school has nursery provision and is mixed-gender, taking children from age 3 through to 11. It is led by headteacher Joanne Farrimond.
Academically, St Aidan's performs strongly. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 86% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, well above the Wigan local authority average of 65%. That puts the school 8th out of 98 primary schools in the borough, placing it in the top 5% regionally and nationally. Pupils also achieved strong average scores of 108 in reading and 106 in maths. At the higher standard, 47% achieved that level in reading, 30% in writing and 26% in maths. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2024, the school was judged Good overall, with behaviour and attitudes rated Outstanding. This is a downgrade from its previous Outstanding rating in 2014, but the inspectors noted that leadership and management, quality of education, personal development and early years provision are all Good.
The school offers a solid range of facilities including an ICT suite, library, art studios, music rooms, a gymnasium and a chapel, plus a Forest School area. Sports provision includes swimming, netball, cricket, tennis and dance, and there are clubs such as film, chess, book club, art, gardening and drama. SEND support covers specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health support. Parent feedback is overwhelmingly positive: 97% of the 64 respondents would recommend the school, and 84% strongly agreed their child is happy. St Aidan's is a good fit for Catholic families in Wigan who prioritise strong academic outcomes and a school with high demand, though the oversubscription means securing a place is competitive.
Key Details
| School Type | Primary (State) |
| Age Range | 3 to 11 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Roman Catholic |
| Address | Holmes House Avenue, Wigan, Wigan, WN3 6EE |
| Headteacher | Joanne Farrimond |
| Local Authority | Wigan |
| Number of Pupils | 336 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 3.6% |
| School Capacity | 336 / 315 (107% full) |
| Nursery Classes | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
12 Nov 2024Quality of Education
Good
Since Sep 2024, Ofsted no longer assigns a single overall grade
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 15 Dec 2024. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on KS2 Reading, Writing & Maths (86%)
624th of 13,686
Nationally
88th of 2,065
In North West
8th of 98
In Wigan
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE KS2 Reading, Writing & Maths data
KS2 SATs Results
2023/24Reading, Writing & Maths Combined
86%
Expected Standard
12%
Higher Standard
'22/23
73%
'23/24
86%
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. National expected standard benchmark is around 65%.
Ofsted Parent View
64 responsesWould Recommend This School
Source: Ofsted Parent View (GOV.UK statistical data), Sep – Sep 2025
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
8Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
13Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed37
79
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
37 families put this school as their 1st choice (47% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Half of schools in England do better than this.
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
2024/25Lower-disadvantage intake compared to the national average (25%).
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British90.5%
- Mixed3.3%
- Asian2.1%
- White (other)1.8%
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
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this 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.
5
Total schools
5
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 St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Wigan
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
How to Choose a Primary School
Step-by-step guide to choosing the right primary school
KS2 SATs Explained
A parent's guide to Year 6 SATs and how results are reported
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Contact Information
Holmes House Avenue, Wigan
Wigan, WN3 6EE
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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