Leigh St John's CofE Primary, Leigh
Leigh St John's CofE Primary is a primary school for pupils aged 5 to 11 in Leigh. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 3rd-highest of the 15 schools in Leigh with published results, and 3,408th of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 2.1 first-choice applications for every place. It was full in 2025, at 101% of capacity.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2019)
- Demand
- 2.1 first choices per place
- 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
Leigh St John's CofE Primary in detail
Leigh St John's CofE Primary in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "I am immensely proud to be headteacher of Leigh St. John's C.E. Primary School. Here, we have a simple mission to help all children and young people to be 'decent human beings'. Mrs E. Lightfoot (Headteacher) St. John's is an Aided, Church of England School for boys and girls aged four to eleven. At Leigh St. John's C.E."
The school runs after-school care until 5:15pm, from £3.75 per session.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 83% of Year 6 pupils at Leigh St John's CofE Primary reached the expected standard in reading and 87% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 79% in Wigan and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 87% in reading and 97% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Leigh St John's CofE Primary
For September 2026 entry, 60 families put Leigh St John's CofE Primary as their first choice and 118 named it as one of their preferences, for 28 places offered. That is 2.1 first choices for every place. 32 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Leigh St John's CofE Primary
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Leigh St John's CofE Primary are Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh (0.3 miles, Requires improvement, 60% reading, 64% maths); Leigh Central Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 61% reading, 77% maths); Leigh CofE Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 74% reading, 67% maths); and Leigh St Mary's CofE Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 70% reading, 60% maths).
Leigh St John's CofE Primary's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School LeighLeigh Central Primary SchoolLeigh CofE Primary SchoolLeigh St Mary's CofE Primary School
What parents say
69 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Leigh St John's CofE Primary (as of September 2025): 87% would recommend the school, 87% say their child is happy there and 65% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school has high expectations for their child (91%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (65%).
Who goes there
In 2026, 33 pupils (15.7%) received SEN support and 5 (2.4%) 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.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Hag Fold Rail Station, about 2.3 miles away in a straight line.
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Gordon Street (near), 20 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Leigh St John's CofE Primary issued 10 suspensions, 4.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Leigh St John's CofE Primary are The Westleigh School (0.8 miles) and Bedford High School (1.4 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from June 2019, 7 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school genuinely lives its mission to help all pupils be 'decent human beings'. Your child will benefit from highly skilled teachers who explain new learning clearly and quickly address any gaps in understanding. The school goes beyond classroom learning with carefully chosen visits and experiences that spark curiosity and inspire children to think about their futures.
Key Strengths
- Excellent teaching with strong subject knowledge helping pupils understand topics in depth - for example, pupils in history explain how stone-age societies changed, and in design and technology they understand counterweights in robotics
- Exceptional support for pupils with SEND who fully access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers
- Expert phonics tuition and reading support from early years, creating fluent and confident readers
- Exemplary pupil conduct and attitudes to learning, with calm, focused lessons
- Wide range of enriching visits and experiences that inspire curiosity - such as field trips to investigate rivers or visits from specialists like neurologists
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with the school creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Acting clubs, dancing clubs, sporting clubs, careers fair, before-school and after-school clubs
Leigh St John's CofE Primary is a happy, respectful school with an ambitious curriculum that inspires pupils to learn deeply across a wide range of subjects. The school has maintained the high standards it was previously judged outstanding for, with pupils achieving exceptionally well.
At a Glance
21.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
69 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 87% to 83% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 97% to 87% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 87% to 77% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
30.0
Avg class size
29.0
Infant (KS1)
30.8
KS2
7
Total classes
3 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Leigh St John's CofE Primary
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Leigh St John's CofE Primary from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Leigh St John's CofE Primary 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
- 40
- Fatal
- 2
- Serious
- 13
- Children hurt
- 9
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 40 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 2 fatal, 13 serious and 25 slight.
9 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise.
9 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 Leigh St John's CofE Primary
Will you get a place at Leigh St John's CofE Primary? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Leigh St John's CofE Primary's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Leigh St John's CofE Primary:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Leigh St John's CofE Primary.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Wigan, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Leigh St John's CofE Primary for 2014 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
101%
Over capacity
212 pupils
210 places
2 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Leigh
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Leigh
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: 2.1 first choices per place
Inspection History(5)
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
33
SEN Support
5
EHC Plans
18.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
210
Total Pupils
107
Boys
103
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
23.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,418
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,565
Per pupil
£1305k
Total funding
£59k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.7%
Overall absence
6.5%
Persistent absence
184
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
Leigh St John's CofE Primary
Questions parents ask about Leigh St John's CofE Primary
What are SATs results like at Leigh St John's CofE Primary?
Of the pupils at Leigh St John's CofE Primary who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 83% reached the expected standard in reading and 87% did so in maths.
What is Leigh St John's CofE Primary's Ofsted rating?
Leigh St John's CofE Primary's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2019, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Leigh St John's CofE Primary?
No fixed boundary. When Leigh St John's CofE Primary is oversubscribed, Wigan allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Leigh St John's CofE Primary?
Leigh St John's CofE Primary was full in 2025, at 101% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Leigh St John's CofE Primary?
Classes at Leigh St John's CofE Primary average 30 pupils (2025/26). 3 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Leigh St John's CofE Primary?
Leigh St John's CofE Primary has around 210 pupils on roll. 21% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Leigh St John's CofE Primary?
4.7% of sessions were missed at Leigh St John's CofE Primary in 2024/25. 6.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Leigh St John's CofE Primary?
Apply through Wigan's coordinated admissions process, naming Leigh St John's CofE Primary 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.
How many road collisions happen near Leigh St John's CofE Primary?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 40 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 2 fatal, 13 serious and 25 slight. 9 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise. 9 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 Leigh St John's CofE Primary?
Leigh St John's CofE Primary is at Kirkhall Lane, Leigh, Greater Manchester, WN7 1RY.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)