Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery, Wigan
Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Wigan, part of The Learning Together Trust. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2018. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 54th-highest of the 67 schools in Wigan with published results, and 10,901st of 14,452 across England. It was 86% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2018)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Wigan (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery in detail
Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery in its own words
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:45am and after-school care, from £4.60 per session.
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 70% of Year 6 pupils at Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery reached the expected standard in reading and 67% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 79% in Wigan and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 76% in reading and 84% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery
For September 2026 entry, 22 families put Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery as their first choice and 38 named it as one of their preferences, for 23 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery are Holy Family RC Primary School, New Springs, Wigan (0.4 miles, Outstanding, 87% reading, 93% maths); Mab's Cross Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 66% reading, 69% maths); St Mary and St John Catholic Primary School (0.7 miles, Outstanding, 97% reading, 73% maths); and St Catharine's CofE Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 52% reading, 72% maths).
Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
Holy Family RC Primary School, New Springs, WiganMab's Cross Primary SchoolSt Mary and St John Catholic Primary SchoolSt Catharine's CofE Primary School
The trust
Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery is one of 6 schools run by The Learning Together Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 75% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
44.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 59 pupils (18.1%) received SEN support and 9 (2.8%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Staffing
Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery had 20 teachers in 2026, one for every 15 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Wigan Wallgate Rail Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Plantation Gates (near), 160 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery issued 14 suspensions, 4.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery are Dean Trust Rose Bridge (0.7 miles), The Deanery Church of England High School and Sixth Form College (1.1 miles) and St John Fisher Catholic High School (1.6 miles).
Dean Trust Rose BridgeThe Deanery Church of England High School and Sixth Form CollegeSt John Fisher Catholic High School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from June 2018, 8 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its June 2018 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
44.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 76% to 70% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 84% to 67% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 69% to 65% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
23.1
Avg class size
19.7
Infant (KS1)
22.3
KS2
13
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery.
- Mighty Oaks @ New Lodge880m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
You apply to the council where you live. Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery is in Wigan; for families living there:
Apply to Wigan for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 5
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 4 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle.
2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Wigan is 10 (the median across 146 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery
Will you get a place at Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Wigan, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery for 2016 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Wigan got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
86%
Available places
302 pupils
350 places
48 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Wigan
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Wigan
Across Wigan council
Places available
3,894
Applications
3,541
Got 1st preference
88.7%
Got preferred school
97.3%
All primary applications across Wigan council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
59
SEN Support
9
EHC Plans
20.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
326
Total Pupils
178
Boys
148
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
20
Teachers
16.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,450
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,875
Per pupil
£2080k
Total funding
£211k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.0%
Overall absence
14.3%
Persistent absence
280
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery
Questions parents ask about Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery
What are SATs results like at Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery?
Of the pupils at Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 70% reached the expected standard in reading and 67% did so in maths.
What is Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery's Ofsted rating?
Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2018, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery?
No fixed boundary. When Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery is oversubscribed, Wigan allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery?
Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery was not full in 2025: it ran at 86% of its 350 places.
How big are the classes at Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery?
Classes at Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery average 23.1 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery?
Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery has around 326 pupils on roll. 44% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery?
6% of sessions were missed at Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery in 2024/25. 14.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery?
Apply through Wigan's coordinated admissions process, naming Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery: Mighty Oaks @ New Lodge (880m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 4 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle. 2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Wigan is 10 (the median across 146 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery?
Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery is at Whelley, Wigan, Lancashire, WN2 1BP.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)