St Peter's Catholic High School
99%
Capacity
1,033
Pupils
2.7x
Demand
About St Peter's Catholic High School
St Peter's Catholic High School in Wigan was rated Good overall in its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2024, a rating it has held consistently across both its recent inspections. The inspection report singled out personal development and behaviour and attitudes as Outstanding, which is a strong indicator of the school's focus on character and conduct. On the academic front, the most telling metric is the school's Progress 8 score of -0.12. While this is below the national average of 0, it is notably above the Wigan local authority average of -0.3, placing St Peter's 6th out of 19 secondary schools in the borough. This means that, on average, pupils leave the school with slightly lower grades than their peers nationally, but they are performing significantly better than the typical student in Wigan. The school's Attainment 8 score of 51.6 further supports this picture of solid, above-local-average performance.
Looking more closely at the exam results, 77.7% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in both English and maths, the basics measure, though this drops to 55.8% when looking at the stronger grade 5 or above threshold. The English Baccalaureate entry rate is low at 10.7%, and the average point score for those who do take it is 4.25. The Progress 8 breakdown shows that the school's strongest subject area is the 'open' bucket (which includes arts, humanities and vocational subjects) with a score of 0.14, while maths is the weakest at -0.32. Nationally, St Peter's ranks in the bottom half of schools on Progress 8, sitting at the 57th percentile. However, within the North West region it is more centrally placed, at the 47th percentile. For parents, this data suggests a school that does a decent job for its pupils relative to the local competition, but is not pushing the highest academic boundaries.
The school is heavily oversubscribed, receiving 522 applications for 191 places in 2025/26, with 255 first-preference applications for just 189 offers, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.73. This high demand reflects its strong local reputation. Facilities are generous for a state secondary, including a swimming pool, astro turf, tennis courts, a chapel, and dedicated art studios and science labs. The school supports a wide range of SEND needs, from dyslexia and autism to speech and language difficulties. With no sixth form, pupils will need to move on at 16. The extensive club offering includes the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, Young Enterprise, and coding, alongside sports like rowing and martial arts. This is a good fit for families in the Wigan area who want a Catholic school with strong pastoral care, a broad extracurricular programme, and academic results that are comfortably above the local average.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 16 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Roman Catholic |
| Address | Howards Lane, Wigan, Wigan, WN5 8NU |
| Headteacher | Andrew McGlown |
| Local Authority | Wigan |
| Number of Pupils | 1,033 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 11.2% |
| School Capacity | 1,033 / 1,040 (99% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
5 Mar 2024Overall Effectiveness
Good
Source: Ofsted, 28 Apr 2024. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.12)
1800th of 3,141
Nationally
208th of 445
In North West
6th of 19
In Wigan
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make similar progress to students nationally with the same starting point
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/232%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 205 pupils).
- Sixth form college67%
- FE college19%
- Apprenticeship6%
- Employment4%
- School sixth form (stay)2%
- Not sustained1%
99% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
10Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
17Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed191
522
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
255 families put this school as their 1st choice (49% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
09:00 – 15:20
Source: saintpetershigh.wigan.sch.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than 75% 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
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British90.4%
- Asian2.9%
- White (other)2.6%
- Mixed1.3%
- Black0.1%
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
2024/25Half of schools in England do better than this.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given 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.
6
Total schools
5
Oversubscribed
3
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 Peter's Catholic High School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Howards Lane, Wigan
Wigan, WN5 8NU
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