Twelve Apostles Catholic Primary School

About Twelve Apostles Catholic Primary School

Twelve Apostles Catholic Primary School in Wigan is a state-funded Roman Catholic primary for mixed pupils aged 4 to 11, and it is effectively full. With 211 pupils on roll against a capacity of 210, the school is operating at maximum occupancy. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 33.2%, which is significantly above the national average for primary schools and suggests a catchment with higher-than-average levels of economic disadvantage. Demand for places is very strong: for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 95 applications for just 30 places, an oversubscription ratio of 3.17 to one. Of those applicants, 43 put the school as their first preference, and 28 first-preference offers were made. This level of competition indicates that families in the area view the school as a highly desirable option, despite the demographic challenges reflected in the FSM figure.

Academically, the school performs solidly against local benchmarks. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 63% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. That is just two percentage points below the Wigan local authority average of 65%, which is a respectable showing given the school’s high FSM intake. The average scaled scores were 104 in reading and 105 in maths, both in line with national norms. At the higher standard, 7% achieved the top level across all three subjects, with 13% reaching it in writing and 10% in both reading and maths. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2021, awarded the highest possible grade of Outstanding across every category: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This is the second consecutive Outstanding rating, following a 2007 inspection that also gave top marks for overall effectiveness, leadership and early years.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including a chapel, sensory room, art studios, music rooms and an ICT suite. Sports provision covers football, cricket, dance, gymnastics, cross country, athletics and netball, while clubs include chess, coding, art, science, drama and gardening. SEND support is available for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, and speech, language and communication needs. The school is oversubscribed, so families applying from outside the Catholic catchment should be aware that first-preference applications are high. It suits families who value a faith-based primary with strong pastoral and SEND support, and who are comfortable with a diverse intake reflective of the local community. The nearest Outstanding-rated alternative is Leigh St John’s CofE Primary, 1.2 kilometres away.

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