Hindley Junior and Infant School Review 2026: Small primary, strong Key Stage 2 outcomes, high demand for places

A one-form entry community primary in Hindley, this is a school where routines and expectations do a lot of the heavy lifting. The pupil experience is shaped by a clear emphasis on reading, steady behaviour standards, and a curriculum built around explicit knowledge and vocabulary development. In the most recent graded inspection (April 2023), the school was rated Good overall, with Outstanding judgements for Behaviour and attitudes and Personal development.

Academically, Key Stage 2 outcomes are a clear strength. In the latest published results (2024), 82.33% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with an England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 27.67% achieved greater depth, well above the England benchmark of 8%. The school’s proprietary FindMySchool ranking places it 2875th in England and 17th in Wigan for primary outcomes, comfortably within the top quarter of schools in England.

Demand is significant for a small intake. In the latest admissions cycle shown, 84 applications were made for 30 offers, around 2.8 applications per place, which frames the admissions conversation for most local families.

Expect a purposeful, structured atmosphere. Staff set high expectations for behaviour and learning, and pupils are encouraged to persist when work is challenging. The tone is calm rather than performative, with an emphasis on self-control, respect, and being able to explain thinking clearly.

The school’s curriculum and behaviour language are closely linked. The published curriculum statement describes a set of key characteristics that are taught and reinforced across school life, including being respectful, resilient, honest, determined, confident, cooperative and ambitious. That shared vocabulary matters in a primary context, it gives staff and pupils a common way to talk about effort, choices, and relationships.

Leadership has changed since the April 2023 inspection, which lists a different head at that point. The current head teacher is Miss Adele McKeever, who describes having served at the school for 15 years before taking up the headship.

The headline measure for most parents is the combined expected standard in reading, writing and maths at the end of Year 6. In the latest published data (2024), 82.33% reached the expected standard, compared with an England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 27.67% achieved greater depth, well above the England average of 8%. This combination points to both strong core attainment and a meaningful proportion of pupils working beyond expected levels.

Other Key Stage 2 indicators reinforce that picture. Average scaled scores are 109 in reading, 105 in maths, and 108 in grammar, punctuation and spelling. Within the same year’s data, 87% met the expected standard in reading and 83% in maths; grammar, punctuation and spelling stands out at 90% reaching the expected standard. Science is the one area that reads as closer to typical, with 80% at the expected standard versus an England average of 82%.

Rankings on FindMySchool, based on official data, place the school 2875th in England for primary outcomes and 17th in Wigan. In plain English, that sits above England average and within the top 25% of schools in England. Parents comparing local options may find the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool helpful for viewing these indicators side-by-side.

Reading is positioned as the cornerstone. The published curriculum statement describes reading being prioritised from the start, with a consistent phonics programme and additional targeted support for pupils who are behind, including daily one-to-one reading for identified children.

Curriculum structure is unusually explicit for a primary. The school sets out that subjects are taught as discrete disciplines, rather than routinely through a topic-led model. Knowledge, skills and vocabulary are sequenced within each subject, with frequent retrieval and revisit built into planning. It is a coherent approach for children who start school with weaker language skills, because it makes vocabulary teaching a deliberate, daily habit rather than an afterthought.

Two operational details are worth noting. First, specialist staff are used for elements including PE and music. Second, the school describes setting into two ability groups for reading, writing and maths in upper Key Stage 2. This can raise pace and precision for some pupils, while others may need careful pastoral handling to keep confidence high.

As a primary, the destination question is less about named schools and more about readiness. The most recent inspection notes that pupils are well prepared for the next stage, including children in the early years. In practical terms, preparation shows up in secure literacy, confident routines, and the ability to manage transitions and expectations.

PSHE and wider personal development content explicitly includes transition work, with year groups encouraged to think about moving up through school and on to secondary. For pupils with SEND, the school’s SEND documentation describes information-sharing with the receiving secondary school, transition sessions where appropriate, and formal transition reviews for pupils with an EHCP.

This is a local-authority coordinated Reception intake. The school’s admissions page sets out that the application window usually opens in late September or early October and closes in mid-January; exact dates are published by Wigan Council each year. For September 2026 entry, the closing date shown by the local authority is 15 January 2026, with offers released on 16 April 2026 (or the next working day if applicable).

Competition is real for a one-form entry school. In the latest figures provided, 84 applications were made for 30 offers, around 2.8 applications per place, and the status is recorded as oversubscribed. For families, that means having a realistic view of how the oversubscription criteria work matters as much as liking the school.

The school’s published oversubscription priorities start with pupils with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming the school, then looked-after and previously looked-after children, certain medical needs determined by the local authority, siblings, and then distance (living closest). One important detail on the school’s own admissions page is that it is no longer providing resourced provision, and parents are advised not to choose the school solely on that basis.

Because a last-distance-offered figure is not published here, parents should treat “living nearby” as a helpful factor rather than a simple rule. If you are moving or buying, it is worth using a precise distance checker rather than relying on rough estimates.

The pastoral picture is anchored in consistent adult-pupil relationships and fast responses when something goes wrong. The school’s safeguarding culture is described as strong, with staff trained to spot concerns and work with external agencies where families need support. Ofsted also recorded safeguarding as effective.

Bullying is treated as an issue to address early rather than normalise. The inspection narrative highlights that incidents are dealt with quickly and that pupils report feeling safe and happy in school. This matters for families who want a school where behaviour is not left to drift, especially in a mixed-age primary where younger children copy the norms they see in older pupils.

For pupils with additional needs, the stated approach is a graduated response using assess-plan-do-review cycles, with transition planning into secondary described in the SEND documentation when additional support is required.

Enrichment is treated as a core part of school life rather than an optional extra. The school publishes a substantial menu of clubs and activities, including cookery, board games, running, football, multi-sports, dodgeball, art and craft, dance, choir, and music and performing.

There is also a notable amount of structured sport delivered through external coaching, with examples including basketball, cricket, rugby, tennis and badminton, and multi-sports built around agility, balance and coordination. For a small school, that breadth can be a real advantage, it increases the chance that a child finds at least one activity where they feel competent and motivated.

Music runs deeper than “a choir exists”. The enrichment listing includes choir and individual or small-group instrumental lessons, with examples given such as drums, violin and piano. Add in the inspection’s curriculum deep dives including music, and the overall picture is a school that takes cultural as well as academic development seriously.

Trips and visitors are explicitly framed as horizon-broadening. The school notes a Year 6 outdoor and adventurous residential as a recurring opportunity, alongside curriculum-linked trips and visitors.

The school day runs 8:45am to 3:15pm, with lunchtime 12:15pm to 1:15pm. Term dates are published in advance; for example, the 2025 to 2026 calendar shows an autumn start on 02 September 2025 and closure for summer on 17 July 2026.

Wraparound provision is available on site via an external provider during term time. Breakfast club runs from 7:30am and after-school provision runs 3:15pm to 5:45pm; published session charges are £4.00 (breakfast) and £8.00 (after school). Families should note that this provision does not operate on INSET days or during holidays.

For travel, Hindley has a local rail station, with services typically connecting towards Wigan and Manchester via Northern-operated routes.

• Admission pressure. With 84 applications for 30 offers in the latest figures available, this is not an easy school to access. If you are relying on a place, make sure you understand the oversubscription priorities and submit on time.

• Assessment consistency in some foundation subjects. The April 2023 inspection highlights that assessment expectations were not yet fully established in one or two subjects, particularly around what specific knowledge and subject vocabulary should be checked. That is the kind of detail that usually improves over time, but it is still worth asking about if curriculum depth matters to you.

• Upper Key Stage 2 grouping. The school describes setting into two ability groups for reading, writing and maths in upper Key Stage 2. This can support pace and targeted teaching, but some children are sensitive to grouping and benefit from careful communication about what it means.

• Wraparound is term-time only. Breakfast and after-school provision is available, but it does not run during holidays or on INSET days. Families needing holiday childcare will likely need an additional plan.

Hindley Junior and Infant School suits families who want a small, structured primary with clear behaviour norms and strong Key Stage 2 attainment. The curriculum focus on reading and vocabulary, plus a busy programme of clubs and sport, is a good fit for children who respond well to routines and explicit teaching. The main limiting factor is admission, competition for places is the obstacle; the day-to-day experience is the payoff.