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St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell

Wigan, WN5 7AAPrimaryAges 4–11MixedState
Ofsted Rating
Good
Feb 2022
KS2 Results
87%
meeting expected standard in RWM
Competition
1.0×
Not oversubscribed
40 1st-choice / 40 places
Ranking
🏆Top 5%
#546 of 13,686 nationally

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.

Key Details

School TypePrimary (State)
Age Range4 to 11 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterRoman Catholic
AddressSt James Road, Wigan, Wigan, WN5 7AA
HeadteacherGary Hayes
Local AuthorityWigan
Number of Pupils371
Free School Meals (FSM)10.8%
School Capacity371 / 420 (88% full)

The full report on this school

The inspection in plain English, admissions context, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.

  • Ofsted inspection in plain English
    Strengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
  • Parent View survey results
    What parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
  • Where Ofsted and parents disagree
    Gaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
  • Admissions & catchment
    Admission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
  • Nearby schools compared
    Backup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
  • Attendance & behaviour data
    Persistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
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Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

17 Feb 2022
View Report
Overall Effectiveness
Good
Leadership & Management
Good

Latest monitoring visit (17 Feb 2022): School remains Good

Source: Ofsted, 11 May 2012. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

5
LibraryOutdoor PlaygroundDining HallForest SchoolChapel

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

8

Sports

SwimmingAthleticsDanceGymnasticsRounders

Clubs & Activities

Book ClubDramaArt Club

Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.

SEND Support

Mental HealthSpeech & LanguagePhysicalLearning Difficulty

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

School day

Verified

Teaching hours

09:00 – 15:30

Source: orrellsaintjames.wigan.sch.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.

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Frequently Asked Questions About St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell

St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell has been rated "Good" by Ofsted. This means the school provides a good standard of education and effectively supports all pupils to succeed.