Overall Oxbridge
#478
2 ranked schools · +175 places vs Eng avg #653 of 1,538
Applications
109
Offers
24
Offer rate22.0%
-6.7 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 28.7%
Schools in Wigan
Once the industrial centre of one of Britain's densest coalfields, Wigan has remade itself around the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, its post-industrial identity now anchored by the Wigan Pier quarter, made famous by George Orwell's 1937 account of the town's working-class hardships. The coalfields are long gone. Around 107,000 people live in Wigan, with the wider borough home to over 330,000.
Wigan Town Centre forms the commercial and civic core, with Orrell to the southwest widely regarded as one of the borough's most competitive pockets for state school catchments and Ashton-in-Makerfield to the south attracting families competing for primary places. Parbold and Standish extend the residential belt further across this Greater Manchester borough, and Northern Rail trains connect the town to Manchester in around thirty minutes.
68
Primary
schools
13
Secondary
schools
3
Post-16
colleges
15
Special
schools
of which7sixth forms·49faith·2nursery schools101 total
Area Performance
Wigan schools rank in the top 47% of England
Across 86 primary, secondary and sixth-form schools, state and independent. The average Find My School Inspection Score is 7.54/10, +0.17 vs England.
Find My School Inspection Band
20% Elite
Distribution across all Wigan schools
EliteExcellentGoodDeveloping
Wigan vs England distribution
National Rank
Top 47%
Across all ranked Wigan schools
Top 43%Primaryavg #6,441 of 14,821
Top 66%Secondaryavg #2,515 of 3,803
Top 52%Sixth formavg #1,319 of 2,523
Primary schools: 70 schools (state + independent)
LocalEngland avg
Average FMS Inspection Score
7.6/10
+0.25 vs Eng avgEng avg 7.3/10
Average national rank
#6,441
+7 pts vs medianmedian 7,411
top 43% of 14,821
% reaching expected RWM standardstate
68%
+6 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 62%
% reaching higher RWM standardstate
11%
+3 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 8%
Average FMS Inspection Score
7.6/10
+0.25 vs Eng avgEng avg 7.3/10
Average national rank
#6,441
+7 pts vs medianmedian 7,411
top 43% of 14,821
% reaching expected RWM standardstate
68%
+6 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 62%
% reaching higher RWM standardstate
11%
+3 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 8%
Secondary schools: 13 schools (state + independent)
LocalEngland avg
Average FMS Inspection Score
6.9/10
-0.51 vs Eng avgEng avg 7.4/10
Average national rank
#2,515
-16 pts vs medianmedian 1,902
top 66% of 3,803
Attainment 8 score (out of 90)state
44.1
+5.0 vs Eng avgEng avg 39.1
Average FMS Inspection Score
6.9/10
-0.51 vs Eng avgEng avg 7.4/10
Average national rank
#2,515
-16 pts vs medianmedian 1,902
top 66% of 3,803
Attainment 8 score (out of 90)state
44.1
+5.0 vs Eng avgEng avg 39.1
Sixth form schools: 3 schools (state + independent)
LocalEngland avg
Average FMS Inspection Score
9.0/10
+1.29 vs Eng avgEng avg 7.7/10
Average national rank
#1,319
-2 pts vs medianmedian 1,262
top 52% of 2,523
% A*-A at A-Level
19%
-6 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 25%
% A*-B at A-Level
46%
-4 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 50%
Average FMS Inspection Score
9.0/10
+1.29 vs Eng avgEng avg 7.7/10
Average national rank
#1,319
-2 pts vs medianmedian 1,262
top 52% of 2,523
% A*-A at A-Level
19%
-6 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 25%
% A*-B at A-Level
46%
-4 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 50%
Oxford
#178
2 ranked schools · +84 places vs Eng avg #262 of 1,866
Applications
61
Offers
8
Offer rate13.1%
-3.5 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 16.6%
Cambridge
#615
3 ranked schools · +84 places vs Eng avg #699 of 1,830
Applications
53
Offers
21
Offer rate39.6%
+2.6 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 37.0%
Top 3 Primary Schools
2026
Wigan town
Top 3 Secondary Schools
2026
Wigan town
Local directory
School profiles in Wigan
Browse 42 local profile links across primary schools in wigan town, secondary schools in wigan town and other schools. Each profile brings together admissions context, performance data, inspection history and school details in one place.
40 nurseries in WiganLoading map…
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