Leigh St Mary's CofE Primary School, Leigh
Leigh St Mary's CofE Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Leigh. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 13th-highest of the 15 schools in Leigh with published results, and 11,866th of 14,452 across England. It was 95% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- 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 Mary's CofE Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 70% of Year 6 pupils at Leigh St Mary's CofE Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 60% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 79% in Wigan and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 70% in reading and 77% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Leigh St Mary's CofE Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 29 families put Leigh St Mary's CofE Primary School as their first choice and 92 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 3 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Leigh St Mary's CofE Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Leigh St Mary's CofE Primary School are Leigh Central Primary School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 61% reading, 77% maths); Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh (under 0.1 miles, Requires improvement, 60% reading, 64% maths); Leigh CofE Primary School (0.1 miles, Good, 74% reading, 67% maths); and Christ Church CofE Primary School, Pennington (0.4 miles, Good, 73% reading, 63% maths).
Leigh St Mary's CofE Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
Leigh Central Primary SchoolSacred Heart Catholic Primary School LeighLeigh CofE Primary SchoolChrist Church CofE Primary School, Pennington
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Hag Fold Rail Station, about 2.7 miles away in a straight line.
30 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Leigh Library (outside), 140 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Leigh St Mary's CofE Primary School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 3rd decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Leigh St Mary's CofE Primary School issued 11 suspensions, 5.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Leigh St Mary's CofE Primary School are The Westleigh School (1.1 miles) and Bedford High School (1.3 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from July 2019, 7 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
From Ofsted's June 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Leigh St Mary's is a caring school where children feel supported and happy. The school has made reading a real priority with beautiful book areas and engaging texts that inspire pupils to love books. Teachers receive good training and support, and the school works effectively with specialists to ensure all children, including those with additional needs, can learn and thrive alongside their peers.
Key Strengths
- Pupils are happy, well-behaved and have positive attitudes to learning
- The school has prioritised reading with high-quality texts and inviting book areas, and pupils read widely and often
- Staff identify pupils' additional needs quickly and work successfully with external specialists to support pupils with SEND
- Effective strategies ensure good attendance and punctuality
- Pupils benefit from rich opportunities including visits, sports clubs, art club, choir, and music tuition
Areas for Improvement
- In some subjects, assessment strategies do not focus enough on the specific knowledge pupils should learn, meaning some pupils develop gaps that remain over time
- Some staff do not deliver the phonics programme consistently well, hindering some pupils - especially those who struggle with reading - from learning to read with fluency and accuracy as quickly as they should
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with the school creating an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Sports clubs, art club, choir, dance and drama shows, music tuition, visits to church and museums, community service at local care home
Leigh St Mary's CofE Primary School continues to be a good school where pupils are happy, settled and eager to learn. Teachers make learning fun in a friendly and nurturing environment where most pupils, including those with SEND, achieve well.
At a Glance
27.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 70% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 77% to 60% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 67% to 63% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
30.1
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
30.3
KS2
7
Total classes
1 class 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 Mary's CofE Primary School
Before and after school care
Leigh St Mary's CofE Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Wigan
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Leigh St Mary's CofE Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Leigh St Mary's CofE Primary School 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
- 42
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 11
- Children hurt
- 9
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 42 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 11 serious and 31 slight.
9 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 on foot and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise.
7 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 Mary's CofE Primary School
Will you get a place at Leigh St Mary's CofE Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Leigh St Mary's CofE Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Leigh St Mary's CofE Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Leigh St Mary's CofE Primary School.
- 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 Mary's CofE Primary School 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
95%
Near capacity
205 pupils
216 places
11 spare places 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: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(5)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
42
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
24.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
211
Total Pupils
114
Boys
97
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
21.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£55,434
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,792
Per pupil
£1344k
Total funding
£83k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.2%
Overall absence
13.3%
Persistent absence
181
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 Mary's CofE Primary School
Questions parents ask about Leigh St Mary's CofE Primary School
What are SATs results like at Leigh St Mary's CofE Primary School?
Of the pupils at Leigh St Mary's CofE Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 70% reached the expected standard in reading and 60% did so in maths.
What is Leigh St Mary's CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Leigh St Mary's CofE Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in July 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Leigh St Mary's CofE Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Leigh St Mary's CofE Primary School 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 Mary's CofE Primary School?
Leigh St Mary's CofE Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 95% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Leigh St Mary's CofE Primary School?
Classes at Leigh St Mary's CofE Primary School average 30.1 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 Leigh St Mary's CofE Primary School?
Leigh St Mary's CofE Primary School has around 211 pupils on roll. 28% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Leigh St Mary's CofE Primary School?
5.2% of sessions were missed at Leigh St Mary's CofE Primary School in 2024/25. 13.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Leigh St Mary's CofE Primary School?
Apply through Wigan's coordinated admissions process, naming Leigh St Mary's CofE Primary School 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 Leigh St Mary's CofE Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Leigh St Mary's CofE Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school.
How many road collisions happen near Leigh St Mary's CofE Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 42 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 11 serious and 31 slight. 9 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 on foot and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise. 7 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 Mary's CofE Primary School?
Leigh St Mary's CofE Primary School is at Walmesley Road, Leigh, Lancashire, WN7 1YE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)