St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell

About St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell

St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell has been rated Good by Ofsted in both its most recent graded inspection in 2012 and its ungraded inspection in 2022, where inspectors confirmed the school remains Good. The most telling academic metric is its Key Stage 2 performance in reading, writing and maths combined: 87% of pupils reached the expected standard in 2023/24, well above the Wigan local authority average of 65%. This places the school 7th out of 98 primary schools in the borough, putting it in the top 5% locally and the top 4% nationally. In the North West region, it ranks 80th out of 2,065 primary schools. The school also performs strongly at the higher standard, with 13% of pupils achieving greater depth across all three subjects.

Looking at individual subjects, reading and maths are particular strengths. 92% of pupils met the expected standard in reading and 90% in maths, with average scaled scores of 109 and 108 respectively. At the higher level, 42% achieved greater depth in reading and 43% in maths, though writing at the higher standard drops to 20%. The school does not publish progress scores for reading, writing or maths, so it is not possible to compare how much value it adds relative to pupils' starting points. Ofsted's 2012 graded inspection rated leadership and management as Good and early years provision as Good, though no separate ratings were given for quality of education, behaviour or personal development in that report. The school has held a consistent Good rating across both its inspections.

The school is oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, it received 103 applications for 40 places, with all 40 first-preference applicants offered a place, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.58. Facilities include a library, outdoor playground, dining hall, forest school and chapel. Sports on offer include swimming, athletics, dance, gymnastics and rounders, while clubs include book club, drama and art club. The school provides for pupils with moderate learning difficulty, social emotional and mental health needs, speech language and communication needs, and physical disability. With a Roman Catholic character and a headteacher in Gary Hayes, this is a strong-performing primary that suits families prioritising academic outcomes within a faith-based setting, particularly those living within the catchment area given its popularity. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is Orrell Newfold Community Primary School, just 0.2 km away.

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