Best Schools in Leigh

How many schools are there in Leigh?

Leigh has 20 open schools: 15 state primary, 2 state secondary or all-through and 3 special.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Leigh are rated Outstanding?

1 school in Leigh was rated Outstanding at its most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Leigh St John's CofE Primary. Counting Good as well, 89% of the 18 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Leigh St John's CofE Primary

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Leigh get the best GCSE results?

Of the 2 schools in Leigh with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Bedford High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 49.2 and 49% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and The Westleigh School, with an Attainment 8 score of 45 and 43% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Bedford High SchoolThe Westleigh School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Leigh have the best SATs results?

Of the 15 primary schools in Leigh with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Gilded Hollins Community School (100% in reading, 97% in maths); St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Leigh (87% in reading, 94% in maths); and Leigh St John's CofE Primary (83% in reading, 87% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Gilded Hollins Community SchoolSt Joseph's Catholic Primary School LeighLeigh St John's CofE Primary

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Leigh?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Leigh selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Leigh have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Leigh have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, Wigan allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Leigh?

Apply to Wigan through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.