The Deanery Church of England High School and Sixth Form College, Wigan

Ofsted's report card from its 9 June 2026 inspection grades The Deanery Church of England High School and Sixth Form College on 7 areas: 1 strong standard and 6 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "The school's personal development and wellbeing programme is the jewel in its crown."

Achievement - Expected standard. "Leaders have taken effective action to improve how well pupils achieve."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Generally, pupils attend school in line with their peers nationally."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "In recent years, leaders have made effective changes to the curriculum."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders have embedded processes to make sure that pupils who may need extra help are identified."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders, including governors, have a clear picture of where things are working well and areas of future focus."

Post 16 provision - Expected standard. "Leaders have taken appropriate steps to improve the programmes of study in the sixth form."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should refine the processes in place to evaluate the impact of their actions. They should use this information to continue to drive improvements across all areas of the school"; "Leaders should sharpen the systems that they have in place to improve attendance to ensure that all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, attend school more often".

From the headteacher's welcome: "As a Church of England school, we aim to provide an education for life , enabling all of our school community to flourish and live life to the full . Our Christian ethos is underpinned by our values of Faith, Hope, Love, Wisdom, Courage & Integrity, which are demonstrated in all aspects of school life."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include STEM, Duke of Edinburgh and philosophy.

In 2026, pupils at The Deanery Church of England High School and Sixth Form College averaged an Attainment 8 score of 45.2, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45.8 in Wigan and 47 across England.

45% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 43% in Wigan and 47% in England.

That is in line with 2025, when the score was 45.7.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.31: pupils made below 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 34.4, against 50.2 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 15.8 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 24 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 275 families put The Deanery Church of England High School and Sixth Form College as their first choice and 745 named it as one of their preferences, for 245 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 43 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to The Deanery Church of England High School and Sixth Form College are St John Fisher Catholic High School (0.9 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45.5); Dean Trust Rose Bridge (1.1 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 38.9); Hawkley Hall High School (1.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 41.9); and Dean Trust Wigan (2.1 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 37.5).

The Deanery Church of England High School and Sixth Form College's 2026 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.

Of the 250 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 88% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 35% to a further education college, 2% to an apprenticeship and 3% into work.

Of the 90 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 52% went on to university or other higher education, 7% to apprenticeships and 26% into work. 7% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

9.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 181 pupils (13.3%) received SEN support and 40 (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.

The Deanery Church of England High School and Sixth Form College had 101 teachers in 2026, one for every 14 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical secondary school, at about one for every 17.

The nearest railway station is Wigan Wallgate Rail Station, about 440 metres away (roughly a 5-minute walk).

36 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Deanery High School (opposite), 30 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The Deanery Church of England High School and Sixth Form College stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In 2024/25, The Deanery Church of England High School and Sixth Form College issued 185 suspensions, 13.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 5 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to The Deanery Church of England High School and Sixth Form College are St Mary and St John Catholic Primary School (0.5 miles), Mab's Cross Primary School (0.5 miles), Wigan St Andrew's CofE Junior and Infant School (0.6 miles) and St Patrick's Catholic Primary School (0.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.