Our Lady's RC Primary School Wigan Review 2026: High-achieving Catholic primary with strong pastoral systems

This is a Catholic voluntary aided primary in Aspull, serving Reception to Year 6, with a published track record of very strong Key Stage 2 outcomes. The school’s latest official inspection outcome confirms it remains Outstanding, and the denominational inspection places equal weight on Catholic life, prayer and liturgy, and Religious Education.

Academic performance is a defining feature. In the most recent published Key Stage 2 outcomes, almost all pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, and a sizeable minority reached the higher standard. For parents, that typically signals a school where expectations are clear, subject teaching is well sequenced, and gaps are spotted early.

Admissions are the main constraint. Reception is capped at 30, and demand exceeds places. For families considering entry, the practical question is how your child fits the oversubscription rules, and, for Catholic schools, whether you will need the supplementary form alongside the local authority application.

The school’s Catholic identity is not a badge on the website, it shapes daily life and the language pupils use about service and responsibility. The denominational inspection in December 2023 describes a community where faith, charity, and leadership roles for pupils are embedded through the school’s routines and projects.

Pastoral support is structured rather than ad hoc. Alongside whole-school safeguarding systems, the school describes a dedicated nurture offer that includes the Rainbow Room and a separate space, the Positive Pod, designed for emotional regulation, reflection, and targeted support. The nurture model is framed around clear principles, including developmental understanding, predictable routines, and the idea that behaviour communicates need.

Leadership has also recently changed. Mr Anthony Cregan is listed as headteacher, with a start date of 01 June 2024; the governing information notes the previous headteacher, Mr Chris Horridge, served until 31 May 2024.

The headline numbers at Key Stage 2 are unusually strong.

• In 2024, 94.67% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, compared with an England average of 62%.

• At the higher standard, 30.67% reached the higher standard in reading, writing and mathematics, compared with an England average of 8%.

• Scaled scores are also high: reading 107, maths 107, and grammar, punctuation and spelling 108.

Rankings reinforce that picture: ranked 2,575th in England and 16th in Wigan for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data).

The implication for families is straightforward. This is a school likely to suit children who enjoy structured learning, clear routines, and being stretched, with the caveat that a high-performing cohort can also create a brisk academic pace in upper Key Stage 2.

Curriculum thinking appears deliberate and joined-up, with particular attention to reading and to how knowledge builds from Reception through Year 6. The latest inspection report highlights connected curriculum planning and strong subject knowledge among staff, with assessment used to address misconceptions quickly.

Reading is treated as a whole-school priority rather than a discrete subject block. The inspection evidence points to early reading that is taught carefully, with timely support for pupils who fall behind, and books that are closely matched to pupils’ current phonics knowledge.

For pupils who need additional support, the school describes a blend of targeted academic help and nurture provision, rather than treating learning and wellbeing as separate tracks. The practical benefit is that support can be both preventative and responsive, which matters in a school where overall attainment is high and gaps can be easy to miss unless adults are attentive.

As a primary school, the main transition point is Year 6 to Year 7. Because the school draws families from multiple nearby communities and, for some applicants, across local authority boundaries, secondary destinations can be a mix of Wigan and Bolton routes, depending on where a family lives and which admissions authority applies.

The school also makes purposeful use of external partners and local facilities. For example, the prospectus references use of St Joseph’s High School and local sports organisations for parts of the broader programme, which can help pupils become comfortable in larger settings and with specialist coaching ahead of secondary transition.

For parents planning ahead, it is worth aligning Year 6 transition support with your intended secondary route early, particularly if you are considering a faith-based secondary or a cross-boundary application.

Reception is the key entry point, with 30 places each September. The local authority co-ordinated deadline for Reception applications for September 2026 entry was 15 January 2026, with the national offer day on 16 April 2026.

Demand is clear. In the most recent admissions dataset provided, there were 83 applications for 30 offers, indicating a competitive profile (about 2.77 applications per place). First preferences also exceeded available places (first preference ratio 1.22), consistent with families actively targeting the school.

Because this is a Catholic voluntary aided school, families should expect a two-part process when applying:

• the local authority application (co-ordinated admissions), and

• a school supplementary information form, which is used by governors to apply faith criteria where relevant.

The school also notes that a substantial share of pupils are not Catholic, which is helpful context for families who like the ethos but are not practising. The admissions information states that, across the last four intakes, around 44% of pupils were non-Catholic.

Parents dealing with tight cut-offs should use the FindMySchool Map Search to check distance and shortlist realistically. Even when distance is not the only criterion, it can still matter once categories are applied.

Safeguarding is described as a strong feature in the most recent inspection evidence, with systems that focus on early identification and working with external agencies where needed.

Beyond safeguarding, the school’s pastoral model looks layered:

• The Rainbow Room is described as a dedicated nurture group approach, historically linked to recognised nurture frameworks and awards.

• The Positive Pod is presented as an additional supportive space, tied to nurture principles and wellbeing-focused practice.

For pupils who need help with emotional regulation, friendship difficulties, or transitions, that kind of infrastructure can be a meaningful differentiator, particularly in a school where classroom learning is ambitious and the social pace can be busy.

Extracurricular life is unusually specific for a primary, with several named strands that go beyond standard sport clubs.

Faith and service

The Faith Team structure includes the GIFT Team (Growing in Faith Together) and a Caritas team with named Caritas Ambassadors. Projects include CAFOD-linked enterprise activity, a Big Sleep Out connected to charitable fundraising, and ongoing partnership work linked to Tanzania.

STEM and making

The Design and Technology offer includes an Engineering after-school club framed as “Putting the E back in STEM”, alongside curriculum enhancement work that uses tools such as Crumble for programmable builds and practical design briefs (for example, shelters, night lights, packaging, and mechanical linkages).

Sport and daily activity habits

Sport includes a broad range of clubs, plus a structured “mile before school” invitation on multiple mornings each week. There are also named external links (including local professional clubs and community organisations), a regular inter-schools sports tournament hosted by the school, and a local swimming gala programme.

Sustainability and leadership

The school describes itself as an Eco school with long-standing Green Flag status and Eco meetings, with community links to initiatives such as Keep Britain Tidy.

The school day runs from 8:55am to 3:35pm, with breaks and lunch structured across the day.

Wraparound care is clearly defined. Breakfast Club runs from 7:30am to 8:55am (£4.50), and an after-school Creative Club runs until 5:30pm (£9.25 per session, including a snack), subject to places and advance booking.

Parking is constrained. The prospectus indicates the staff car park is not intended for parent parking, and pedestrian entry is preferred for safety at the gates.

• Competition for Reception places. With 83 applications for 30 offers in the latest admissions dataset, getting a place is the hard part. Families should plan a realistic preference strategy and submit any required supplementary form on time.

• Catholic admissions criteria. This is a faith school with meaningful Catholic life. Non-Catholic families do apply successfully, but you should understand how faith categories and documentation affect priority.

• A high-attainment culture. The 2024 Key Stage 2 profile suggests strong outcomes for most pupils. That can be energising for some children, but those who need a slower pace may benefit from discussing support early.

• Wraparound places are not infinite. Breakfast and after-school provision exists and is well-defined, but is subject to capacity and booking requirements.

This is a high-performing Catholic primary with well-developed pastoral infrastructure and a distinctive combination of academic ambition, faith-led service, and practical enrichment (from Eco leadership to engineering club). It suits families who want a values-driven school with very strong Key Stage 2 outcomes and who can manage the admissions process carefully. The limiting factor is entry, not the educational offer once you are in.