St Marie's Catholic Primary School Standish

About St Marie's Catholic Primary School Standish

St Marie's Catholic Primary School Standish is a state primary in Wigan that is currently running very close to its full capacity of 210 pupils, with 203 children on roll. The school serves a community where 11.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is below the national average for primary schools and suggests a relatively less disadvantaged intake compared with many schools nationally. Demand for places is notably high: for the 2025/26 academic year, the school received 103 total applications for just 29 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 3.55. Of those applicants, 42 put St Marie's as their first preference, and all 29 places went to first-preference families. This level of competition signals a school that is firmly established as a popular choice among local parents, and the fact that it is a Roman Catholic school with a religious character likely shapes its intake, with many families drawn from the practising Catholic community in Standish and the surrounding Wigan area.

Academically, St Marie's performs well above the local authority average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 76% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a Wigan LA average of 65%. The school's average scores in reading and maths both sit at 106, comfortably above the national benchmark of 100. At the higher standard, 9% of pupils achieved the top level across all three subjects. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2023, the school was rated Outstanding across every category: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This is a consistent record of excellence, as the previous inspection in 2008 also awarded Outstanding overall. In the Wigan local authority rankings, St Marie's sits 26th out of 98 primary schools, placing it in the top 27% of schools in the borough, and it ranks 341st out of 2,065 primary schools in the North West region.

The school offers a strong range of facilities including a sports hall, playing fields, library, art studios, music rooms and a chapel, reflecting its Catholic identity. Sports provision covers football, cricket, gymnastics, netball and swimming, while clubs include coding, science club and eco club. For families with children who have additional needs, St Marie's has a broad SEND offer, supporting pupils with specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, hearing and visual impairments, social and emotional mental health needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. There is no nursery provision or sixth form, and the school is not a boarding option. Given its oversubscription and Outstanding rating, this school will suit families who are committed to a Catholic primary education and are prepared to apply early and make a first-preference application. Those living within the parish boundary or with a strong connection to the church will likely have the strongest chance of securing a place.

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