Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh, Leigh
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Leigh. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2023. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 14th-highest of the 15 schools in Leigh with published results, and 12,528th of 14,452 across England. It was 95% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Wigan (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh in detail
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh in its own words
The school runs a breakfast club, from £3 per day.
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 60% of Year 6 pupils at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh reached the expected standard in reading and 64% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 79% in Wigan and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (64% in reading, 64% in maths).
Getting a place at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh
For September 2026 entry, 21 families put Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh as their first choice and 55 named it as one of their preferences, for 43 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 Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh are Leigh Central Primary School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 61% reading, 77% maths); Leigh St Mary's CofE Primary School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 70% reading, 60% maths); Leigh CofE Primary School (0.1 miles, Good, 74% reading, 67% maths); and Leigh St John's CofE Primary (0.3 miles, Outstanding, 83% reading, 87% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh.
Leigh Central Primary SchoolLeigh St Mary's CofE Primary SchoolLeigh CofE Primary SchoolLeigh St John's CofE Primary
What parents say
31 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh (as of September 2025): 58% would recommend the school, 71% say their child is happy there and 27% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (71%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (27%).
Who goes there
50% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (43%), Black (20%) and Asian (15%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Hag Fold Rail Station, about 2.6 miles away in a straight line.
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Avenue (adjacent), 150 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh issued 28 suspensions, 9.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh 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; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs 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 · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's July 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The school has made improvements to its curriculum and reading programme, and pupils benefit from good behaviour support and enriching activities that broaden their horizons. Staff have positive relationships with pupils, and the school works hard to support pupils' mental and physical wellbeing. The school is ambitious for all pupils to achieve highly and values diversity and inclusion.
Key Strengths
- Improved reading programme with books well matched to phonics sounds that pupils know
- Good behaviour overall with effective support for pupils managing emotions, including through the school dog Daisy
- Strong teaching of fundamental British values and respect for different backgrounds and cultures
- Clearer curriculum knowledge across all subjects from reception to key stage 2
Areas for Improvement
- Early years staff do not consistently use the most effective strategies to develop children's vocabulary and knowledge
- Some pupils have gaps in reading, writing and mathematics that staff do not consistently identify or fill
- Support for pupils with additional needs and SEND is not timely or effective enough
- Staff concerns about workload and morale need addressing
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Yoga sessions, fitness opportunities at breaktimes, play leader roles, buddy roles for pupils from different countries, local area visits
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh is a Roman Catholic primary school in Wigan serving pupils aged 4-11. Most pupils enjoy school and value positive relationships with staff, though some pupils, including those with additional needs, are not being supported well enough to achieve as they should.
At a Glance
32.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
31 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 64% to 60% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 64% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 60% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.7
Avg class size
24.5
Infant (KS1)
29.8
KS2
10
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 Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh 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
- 37
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 11
- Children hurt
- 9
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 37 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 11 serious and 26 slight.
9 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 on foot and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise.
6 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 Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh
Will you get a place at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Wigan, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh 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
298 pupils
315 places
17 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: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
60
SEN Support
13
EHC Plans
24.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
300
Total Pupils
164
Boys
136
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
15
Teachers
20.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£58,200
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,922
Per pupil
£1983k
Total funding
£138k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.9%
Overall absence
20.5%
Persistent absence
283
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
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh
Questions parents ask about Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh
What are SATs results like at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh?
Of the pupils at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 60% reached the expected standard in reading and 64% did so in maths.
What is Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh's Ofsted rating?
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2023, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh?
No fixed boundary. When Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh is oversubscribed, Wigan allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh?
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh was close to full in 2025, at 95% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh?
Classes at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh average 27.7 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 Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh?
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh has around 300 pupils on roll. 32% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh?
6.9% of sessions were missed at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh in 2024/25. 20.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh?
Apply through Wigan's coordinated admissions process, naming Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh 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 Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 37 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 11 serious and 26 slight. 9 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 on foot and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise. 6 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 Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh?
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh is at Windermere Road, Leigh, Lancashire, WN7 1UX.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)