St Oswald's Catholic Primary School, Wigan
St Oswald's Catholic Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Wigan. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2022 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 61st-highest of the 67 schools in Wigan with published results, and 12,330th of 14,452 across England. It was 73% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 75 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Wigan (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 1 Nov 2026
St Oswald's Catholic Primary School in detail
St Oswald's Catholic Primary School in its own words
The school runs after-school care until 6:00pm.
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 60% of Year 6 pupils at St Oswald's Catholic Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 66% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 79% in Wigan and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 76% in reading and 82% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at St Oswald's Catholic Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 21 families put St Oswald's Catholic Primary School as their first choice and 39 named it as one of their preferences, for 24 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 St Oswald's Catholic Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Oswald's Catholic Primary School are R L Hughes Primary School (0.2 miles, Good, 85% reading, 97% maths); St Thomas CofE Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 62% reading, 69% maths); Nicol Mere School (0.7 miles, Outstanding, 97% reading, 97% maths); and St Wilfrids Catholic Primary School (0.9 miles, Good, 74% reading, 89% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than St Oswald's Catholic Primary School.
R L Hughes Primary SchoolSt Thomas CofE Primary SchoolNicol Mere SchoolSt Wilfrids Catholic Primary School
Who goes there
2.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 45 pupils (18.6%) received SEN support and 7 (2.9%) 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 a moderate learning difficulty.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Bryn Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.
17 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Ashton Library (near), 160 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Oswald's Catholic Primary School issued 2 suspensions, 0.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Oswald's Catholic Primary School are St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-Makerfield (0.4 miles); Cansfield High School (0.4 miles); and The Byrchall High School (0.4 miles).
St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-MakerfieldCansfield High SchoolThe Byrchall High School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from June 2013, 13 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 November 2022 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St Oswald's is a warm, welcoming school where pupils are happy, proud, and eager to learn. The school has particularly strong reading and maths teaching, with expert support for children who need extra help. All pupils, including those with additional needs, benefit from an ambitious curriculum and excellent pastoral care focused on well-being.
Key Strengths
- Strong phonics teaching with consistent approach and extra support for struggling readers - children achieve well in early reading
- Ambitious, well-planned curriculum in most subjects with clear knowledge sequencing, particularly strong in mathematics
- Excellent support for pupils with SEND who access the same curriculum as classmates with appropriate adaptations
- Well-developed mental health and well-being provision helping pupils develop strategies to manage their feelings
- Calm, purposeful classrooms with good behaviour where learning is rarely disrupted
Areas for Improvement
- In a few subjects, leaders have not made the key knowledge pupils should learn clear enough to teachers, which hinders checking of earlier learning
- Continue work to ensure teachers understand the building blocks of pupils' knowledge in these subjects
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with strong governing body oversight, well-trained vigilant staff, clear recording systems, effective follow-up, and pupils taught to stay safe online and speak to trusted adults.
St Oswald's Catholic Primary School continues to be a good school with vibrant, eager pupils who enjoy learning and feel safe. Leaders have made curriculum development a priority and have high expectations for all pupils, including those with SEND.
At a Glance
19.0%
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 declined from 76% to 60% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 82% to 66% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 76% to 60% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
30.3
Avg class size
28.5
Infant (KS1)
31.0
KS2
7
Total classes
4 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from St Oswald's Catholic Primary School
Ozzie’s News
2 Oct 2026
Ozzie’s News
25 Sep 2026
Ozzie’s News
18 Sep 2026
Ozzie’s News
11 Sep 2026
Ozzie’s News
4 Sep 2026
Ozzie’s News (19.12.25)
19 Dec 2025
From St Oswald's Catholic Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with St Oswald's Catholic Primary School
Nurseries
The nearest nurseries and pre-schools to St Oswald's Catholic Primary School, with their latest published grades:
- CareLoveLearn at St Oswald's - Day nursery, under 0.1 milesOfsted report card, 17 September 2026: Expected standard in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met
- Kip McGrath, Ashton in Makerfield - Day nursery, 0.2 miles
- Over The Rainbow - Day nursery, 0.3 milesOfsted, 23 June 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Hilton Street Childcare - Day nursery, 0.3 milesOfsted, 7 June 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- NURSERYANDM.E LTD - Pre-school, 0.4 milesOfsted, 31 January 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Oswald's Catholic Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Oswald's Catholic 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
- 20
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 6
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 20 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 14 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
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 are DfT estimates (severity adjustment). Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at St Oswald's Catholic Primary School
Will you get a place at St Oswald's Catholic Primary School?
For 2026 entry it had 21 first choices for 24 places. The report sets your home postcode against these figures.
£9.99 once (inc. VAT; £19.99 for up to three schools), or Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time. What's in the report
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
73%
Available places
256 pupils
349 places
93 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
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
Future places in the local planning area
DfE estimates the Area 8: Ashton Primary planning area (Wigan) will have 349 spare primary places in 2027/28.
Source: Department for Education, School capacity: Academic year 2024/25 (published 19 March 2026), estimates of future school place demand by planning area. Council pupil forecasts against reported places, counting places councils and DfE plan to add or remove; rounded to whole places. Explore Education Statistics
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
45
SEN Support
7
EHC Plans
21.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
242
Total Pupils
119
Boys
123
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
13
Teachers
18.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,808
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,099
Per pupil
£1453k
Total funding
£76k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.9%
Overall absence
11.3%
Persistent absence
231
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
St Oswald's Catholic Primary School
Questions parents ask about St Oswald's Catholic Primary School
What are SATs results like at St Oswald's Catholic Primary School?
Of the pupils at St Oswald's Catholic Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 60% reached the expected standard in reading and 66% did so in maths.
What is St Oswald's Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St Oswald's Catholic Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2022, was ungraded. At its last graded inspection, in June 2013, it was rated Good.
Is it hard to get a place at St Oswald's Catholic Primary School?
St Oswald's Catholic Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 73% of its 349 places.
How big are the classes at St Oswald's Catholic Primary School?
Classes at St Oswald's Catholic Primary School average 30.3 pupils (2025/26). 4 classes have more than 30 pupils.
How many pupils go to St Oswald's Catholic Primary School?
St Oswald's Catholic Primary School has around 242 pupils on roll. 19% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Oswald's Catholic Primary School?
4.9% of sessions were missed at St Oswald's Catholic Primary School in 2024/25. 11.3% of pupils were persistently absent.
How many road collisions happen near St Oswald's Catholic Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 20 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 14 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 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 St Oswald's Catholic Primary School?
St Oswald's Catholic Primary School is at Council Avenue, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan, Lancashire, WN4 9AZ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)