Standish Community High School, Wigan

Ofsted's report card from its 3 February 2026 inspection grades Standish Community High School on 6 areas: 6 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils achieve well overall."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders have created an inclusive environment where pupils' regular attendance is promoted effectively."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have a broadly accurate understanding of the strengths and areas for development in curriculum and teaching."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders have a clear and ambitious vision for the school, with equity for pupils at its heart."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders, including trustees and governors, are ambitious for pupils and act in their best interests."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have carefully designed a comprehensive programme for pupils' personal development."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that teachers check pupils' previous knowledge and understanding with greater rigour, so that they can design learning activities that consistently build effectively on what pupils already know"; "Leaders should ensure that pupils develop consistent and detailed knowledge of the personal development programme, including fundamental British values and different faiths and beliefs".

From the headteacher's welcome: "Standish Community High School is a thriving 11-16 school, set on an extensive and well-resourced campus in Standish, Wigan. We are a vibrant, caring and forward thinking school, where the academic achievement and personal development of each student go hand in hand. We are committed to the highest levels of academic achievement, personal growth and lifelong fulfilment."

The school runs after-school care.

In 2026, pupils at Standish Community High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 51.9, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45.8 in Wigan and 47 across England.

55% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 43% in Wigan and 47% in England.

That is up from 49.7 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.07: pupils made about average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 41.5, against 54.3 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 12.8 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 22 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Art and Design, Combined Science and Religious Studies.

For September 2026 entry, 215 families put Standish Community High School as their first choice and 485 named it as one of their preferences, for 240 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Standish Community High School are Shevington High School (0.9 miles, Good, Attainment 8 50.4); St John Fisher Catholic High School (2.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45.5); The Deanery Church of England High School and Sixth Form College (3.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45.2); and Dean Trust Wigan (3.5 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 37.5).

Standish Community High School's 2026 results were higher than all 4 of them.

Standish Community High School is one of 3 schools run by Mosaic Learning Trust, an academy trust.

121 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Standish Community High School (as of April 2026): 75% would recommend the school, 74% say their child is happy there and 47% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (78%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (47%).

Of the 257 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 83% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 47% to a further education college, 5% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.

7.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 145 pupils (11.4%) received SEN support and 21 (1.6%) 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.

The nearest railway station is Appley Bridge Rail Station, about 2 miles away in a straight line.

6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Standish Community High School (outside), 70 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Standish Community High School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In 2024/25, Standish Community High School issued 120 suspensions, 9.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.

The primary schools closest to Standish Community High School are St Marie's Catholic Primary School Standish (0.4 miles); Wood Fold Primary School (0.6 miles); Standish St Wilfrid's Church of England Primary Academy (0.8 miles); and St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Wrightington (1 mile). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.