St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh, Leigh
St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh 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 June 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 9th-highest of the 15 schools in Leigh with published results, and 10,597th of 14,452 across England. It was 97% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- 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
St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh in detail
St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh in its own words
In its own words: "Our vision focuses on faith, because we know that God loves everyone and will reward those who believe in Him and follow His way."
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:45am and after-school care, from £3.50 per day.
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 70% of Year 6 pupils at St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh reached the expected standard in reading and 69% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 79% in Wigan and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 60% in reading and 49% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh
For September 2026 entry, 35 families put St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh as their first choice and 71 named it as one of their preferences, for 49 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 Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh are St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Leigh (0.3 miles, Good, 87% reading, 94% maths); Bedford Hall Methodist Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 73% reading, 67% maths); Christ Church CofE Primary School, Pennington (0.8 miles, Good, 73% reading, 63% maths); and Leigh CofE Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 74% reading, 67% maths).
St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School LeighBedford Hall Methodist Primary SchoolChrist Church CofE Primary School, PenningtonLeigh CofE Primary School
What parents say
59 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh (as of September 2025): 85% would recommend the school, 93% say their child is happy there and 38% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (95%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (38%).
Who goes there
11.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 44 pupils (11.1%) received SEN support and 10 (2.5%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Atherton Rail Station, about 2.6 miles away in a straight line.
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Butts Bridge (opposite), 70 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh issued 4 suspensions, 1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh are Bedford High School (0.4 miles) and St Mary's Catholic High School (1.5 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 2015, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school excels at creating a happy, safe place where all children thrive, including those with additional needs. Teachers are skilled at explaining new ideas clearly and staff work hard to help every child succeed. The school enriches learning through visits from experts, trips to local attractions, and giving pupils real responsibilities like being school councillors and sports leaders.
Key Strengths
- Caring staff create a warm, welcoming environment where pupils are happy and feel safe
- Well-designed curriculum that helps pupils build knowledge logically and securely across subjects
- Strong focus on reading with pupils becoming confident, fluent readers by end of Year 2
- Effective support for pupils with SEND, enabling them to achieve well
- Calm, orderly lessons with positive learning behaviours throughout the school
Areas for Improvement
- In some subjects, pupils do not revisit and recall previous knowledge securely enough, which affects building strong foundations for new learning
- Pupils' understanding of fundamental British values is limited, leaving them less prepared for their next steps
- Some pupils have high absence levels that means they miss valuable learning and personal development opportunities
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with staff properly trained and pupils confident that staff will help them with any worries or concerns.
Extracurricular Activities
Breakfast club, residential trips for older pupils, day trips to local farm/coal mine/mill, school council, subject ambassadors, lunchtime sports leaders, Stone Age workshops, Mayan workshops, bug workshops, charity fundraising, local events performances
St Thomas' CofE Primary School is a lively, welcoming school where pupils flourish and achieve well across a range of subjects. The school has designed an ambitious curriculum and provides a caring environment where pupils feel safe and happy.
At a Glance
27.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
59 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 improved from 60% to 70% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 49% to 69% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 63% to 57% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.9
Avg class size
26.0
Infant (KS1)
29.5
KS2
11
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 St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh.
- Leigh St Thomas Primary School Wraparound CareAt the school · Not yet graded
- Joe's Zone At St Josephs Catholic Primary School480m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Thomas' CofE 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
- 24
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 5
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 24 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 5 serious and 18 slight.
5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
4 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 St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh
Will you get a place at St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Thomas' CofE 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 St Thomas' CofE 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
97%
Near capacity
406 pupils
420 places
14 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
44
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
13.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
395
Total Pupils
198
Boys
197
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
20
Teachers
19.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,231
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,308
Per pupil
£2411k
Total funding
£133k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.4%
Overall absence
13.7%
Persistent absence
366
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 Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh
Questions parents ask about St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh
What are SATs results like at St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh?
Of the pupils at St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 70% reached the expected standard in reading and 69% did so in maths.
What is St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh's Ofsted rating?
St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2015, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh?
No fixed boundary. When St Thomas' CofE 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 St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh?
St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh was close to full in 2025, at 97% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh?
Classes at St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh average 27.9 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 St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh?
St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh has around 395 pupils on roll. 28% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh?
5.4% of sessions were missed at St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh in 2024/25. 13.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh?
Apply through Wigan's coordinated admissions process, naming St Thomas' CofE 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.
Does St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Leigh St Thomas Primary School Wraparound Care (registered, not yet graded). There is another within a kilometre. The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 24 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 5 serious and 18 slight. 5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 4 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 Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh?
St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh is at Astley Street, Leigh, Lancashire, WN7 2AS.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)