Christ Church CofE Primary School, Pennington, Leigh
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Overall
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
Christ Church is a caring school where every child matters and parents love the family atmosphere created by dedicated staff. Pupils achieve particularly well in writing and maths by the end of primary school, and the school provides special activities and trips to support disadvantaged pupils. Reading is improving significantly thanks to better resources and higher teacher expectations.
Key Strengths
- Strong community atmosphere with excellent pastoral care and pupil well-being
- Pupils achieve well at the end of key stage 2, particularly in writing and mathematics, with 2018 results above national average
- Effective handling of challenging behaviour with minimal disruption to learning
- Improving reading achievement through high-quality texts and rising teacher expectations
- Strong teaching in physical education and music
Areas for Improvement
- Inconsistent achievement of disadvantaged pupils, particularly in key stage 1
- Curriculum beyond English and mathematics not taught well, with low standards in history, geography, art and design technology
- Teachers' expectations too low in non-core subjects with superficial teaching of knowledge and skills
- Senior leaders and governors lack sufficient knowledge to accurately assess school performance
- Safeguarding policies and systems need to be more stringent and reviewed
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective with a strong culture of keeping pupils safe, fit-for-purpose arrangements, and all staff committed to pupil well-being, though some policies need reviewing.
Extracurricular Activities
music lessons, school trips
Christ Church CofE Primary School in Pennington is a good school with a strong sense of community where staff know pupils extremely well and parents appreciate the care and support provided. Under the new headteacher's leadership, there are positive signs of improvement, though work remains to raise achievement for disadvantaged pupils and improve the broader curriculum.
At a Glance
37.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
32 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 73%. Maths has declined from 80% to 63%. Writing has declined from 70% to 43%.
Class Sizes
29.7
Avg class size
29.3
Infant (KS1)
30.0
KS2
7
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
Bus Stops
Commute Calculator
Find out if this school is reachable from your home - before you apply
What are my chances?
Enter your postcode to estimate your probability of getting a place.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
98%
Near capacity
205 pupils
210 capacity
5 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Leigh
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Leigh
Admissions Demand - Wigan
Places available
3,894
Applications
3,601
Got 1st preference
89.7%
Got preferred school
97.0%
Primary admissions across Wigan (2025/26)
Inspection History(109)
House Prices
Moving into the catchment? See what homes near this school actually cost
SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.56129%
Overall absence
17.02128%
Persistent absence
188
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Reviews
No reviews yet - be the first to leave one.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Christ Church CofE Primary School, Pennington
Nearby Schools
Do you work at this school?
Claim your profile free to get a verified badge, update your contact details, and see how many parents are viewing your page.