St Richard's Roman Catholic Primary School Atherton
About St Richard's Roman Catholic Primary School Atherton
St Richard's Roman Catholic Primary School in Atherton is a smaller-than-average state primary, currently teaching 184 pupils against a capacity of 210. That 26-place gap is notable, but it doesn't tell the full story of demand. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 31 applications for just 18 Reception places, making it officially oversubscribed with a ratio of 1.72 applicants per place. Every one of those 18 offers went to first-preference families, which suggests strong local loyalty. The school's intake is also significantly more disadvantaged than the national picture: 37% of pupils qualify for free school meals, compared with the national primary average of around 24%. That context matters when you look at outcomes, because St Richard's is clearly serving a community with higher-than-average economic need, and its results need to be read against that backdrop.
Key Details
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 EnglishStrengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
- Parent View survey resultsWhat parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
- Where Ofsted and parents disagreeGaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
- Admissions & catchmentAdmission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
- Nearby schools comparedBackup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
- Attendance & behaviour dataPersistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
20 Jan 2022Latest monitoring visit (20 Jan 2022): School remains Good
Source: Ofsted, 1 Feb 2017. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
Facilities
8Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
10Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
School day
Teaching hours
08:55 – 15:15
Breakfast club
08:00-08:25
After-school care
15:15-17:30
Source: saintrichards.wigan.sch.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
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