St John Rigby RC Sixth Form College, Wigan
St John Rigby RC Sixth Form College is a post-16 school for pupils aged 16 to 19 in Wigan. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2024.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2024)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St John Rigby RC Sixth Form College in detail
St John Rigby RC Sixth Form College in its own words
Coming up: an open day on Wednesday 4 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
Source: The school's own website
Where pupils go next
Of the 637 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 50% went on to university or other higher education, 12% to apprenticeships and 25% into work. 13% went to one of the most selective third of universities.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Gathurst Rail Station, about 650 metres away (roughly a 8-minute walk).
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St John Rigby College (outside), 70 metres away.
Sources: DfE destination measures; NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Contribution to meeting skills needs: Reasonable
Source: Ofsted, further education and skills inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its January 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Special Measures
Sixth Form Performance (A-Level)
A-Level Results
C+
Average grade
32.3
Points per entry
C+
Best 3 A-Levels
7%
Achieving AAB+
Below average
Value added
482
A-Level students
92%
Retention rate
2024/25 academic year
A-Level Subjects Offered
+ 7 more subjects
2024/25 academic year - entries by number of students
After A-Levels - Leaver Destinations
After A-Levels (Year 13) - 637 students
2023/24 data
University & Higher Education Destinations
13%
Top-third university
64%
Degree course
68%
Any L4+ destination
4%
Apprenticeships
Based on 625 students completing 16-18 study
2022/23 cohort - "Top-third" = most selective third of UK universities by student intake
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 2 nearby schools
Latest from St John Rigby RC Sixth Form College
Celebrating Student Success! 2026 Results Day!
13 Aug 2026
SJR NEWSLETTER - 15/06/26
15 Jun 2026
SJR NEWSLETTER - 22/05/26
22 May 2026
SJR Newsletter - 15/05/26
15 May 2026
SJR NEWSLETTER - 07/05/26
7 May 2026
SJR NEWSLETTER - 27/04/26
27 Apr 2026
From St John Rigby RC Sixth Form College's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with St John Rigby RC Sixth Form College
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 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
Capacity & Demand
Area Demand Pressure - Wigan
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Wigan
Across Wigan council
Places available
4,061
Applications
3,718
Got 1st preference
91.1%
Got preferred school
97.6%
All secondary applications across Wigan council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(10)
Questions parents ask about St John Rigby RC Sixth Form College
What is St John Rigby RC Sixth Form College's Ofsted rating?
St John Rigby RC Sixth Form College was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2024.
What is the catchment area for St John Rigby RC Sixth Form College?
No fixed boundary. When St John Rigby RC Sixth Form College is oversubscribed, Wigan allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How do I apply to St John Rigby RC Sixth Form College?
Apply through Wigan's coordinated admissions process, naming St John Rigby RC Sixth Form College on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near St John Rigby RC Sixth Form College?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 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 St John Rigby RC Sixth Form College?
St John Rigby RC Sixth Form College is at Gathurst Road, Orrell, Wigan, Lancashire, WN5 0LJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)