St John Fisher Catholic High School, Wigan review 2026

On Baytree Road in Springfield, the school’s rebuild story is hard to miss: St John Fisher was named a flagship in the Department for Education’s Schools Rebuilding Programme, with a three-storey “superblock” plan that includes a central school chapel and new sports facilities. It matters because a rebuild is not just a facelift. It can change daily logistics, create better specialist spaces, and reset expectations about how a school day runs.

St John Fisher Catholic High School is a state secondary school for boys and girls aged 11 to 16 in Wigan, Greater Manchester. It is a Catholic school, with a published capacity of 1000, and it does not have a sixth form, so post-16 progression is always part of the decision. The most recent Ofsted inspection rated the school Good.

A Catholic identity sits at the centre of this school’s language and routines. The mission statement, Learning Together as a Community in Christ, reads less like a slogan and more like a guide for how students are expected to treat each other, as well as how adults respond when things go wrong. The school motto, Quod Bonum Est Tenete (Hold Fast to that which is Good), fits that style: direct, practical, and geared to everyday choices rather than grand gestures.

That faith dimension is expressed through prayer and liturgy, chaplaincy, and a visible emphasis on service. Students can take on leadership roles through Catholic Life and Mission Pupil Ambassadors, and there are structured “faith in action” pathways such as the Faith in Action Awards and the Fisher Factor Challenge (aimed at Year 7). For families who want Catholic life to be present but not performative, this kind of scaffold matters. It gives students something to do with values, not just something to repeat.

Beyond faith, the overall tone is rooted in clear expectations. The school sets out standards around punctuality and uniform, and it talks openly about belonging and respect as the baseline. That can suit students who like clarity. It can also be reassuring for parents who want a school that feels ordered, with routines that hold up on an ordinary Wednesday as well as on a big day.

GCSE outcomes in context

Ranked 2967th in England and 9th in Wigan for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data), St John Fisher sits below England average overall (in the bottom 40% of schools on this measure). For families, the key is not just the label, but what it asks of a student: the school’s profile suggests that consistent effort and strong support at home will matter, especially for children who need extra structure to keep learning moving.

The Attainment 8 score is 42.2, and the Progress 8 score is -0.58. A negative Progress 8 figure indicates that, on average, students make less progress than similar pupils nationally from their starting points. That does not define any one child’s experience, but it does raise sensible questions to ask about how the school identifies gaps early and how quickly it intervenes.

The EBacc picture is also a clear marker. 5.4% of pupils achieved grades 5 or above across the EBacc subjects, and the EBacc average points score is 3.4, compared with an England average of 4.08. If you are choosing a school partly for languages and a strongly academic humanities route, it is worth asking how EBacc entry is decided and what support is available for students taking that pathway.

Parents comparing nearby options can use the FindMySchool Local Hub and comparison tools to line these measures up side by side, rather than relying on reputation or year-to-year anecdotes.

The school’s published teaching approach is explicit about classroom craft. It references Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction and breaks teaching down into practical moves: retrieval, modelling, questioning, and feedback. That is a promising sign for students who do best when lessons are built in small, checkable steps, and when teachers do not assume prior knowledge is secure.

Reading is treated as a priority rather than a bolt-on. The school highlights targeted strategies for students who need to catch up, including phonics where appropriate. For parents of children arriving in Year 7 with wobbly reading confidence, that matters. Secondary school can be unforgiving when every subject relies on comprehension, pace, and vocabulary.

There is also a strong “learn it, fix it, move on” thread. Students are encouraged to correct misconceptions through structured support, and the school’s wider emphasis on personal development links learning to the practical realities of managing stress, staying safe online, and preparing for next steps after Year 11.

With no on-site sixth form, progression at 16 is a built-in turning point. For many families, that is not a drawback. It can be a clean reset, especially for students ready for a larger post-16 environment or for a more specialist technical route. The important point is planning early, so choices feel deliberate rather than last-minute.

Careers education is given space on the school’s website, including named coordination and an independent careers guidance adviser. The school also signposts a range of local and regional providers and colleges that are realistic options for Wigan students, including St John Rigby College, Winstanley College, Wigan and Leigh College, and Runshaw College. For students interested in a more technical route, the school also points towards pathways such as University Technical College (UTC) Wigan and sport-linked education options.

Because the school serves Years 7 to 11 only, the best question to ask is simple: by Year 9, does your child already know what they might want from post-16, and does the school help them keep options open? A strong careers programme does not just inform, it widens the horizon and makes choices feel achievable.

Routes and criteria

Admissions are coordinated through the local authority, and demand is real. The published admissions data shows 433 applications for 193 offers, around 2.24 applications per place, with the school listed as oversubscribed. That competition shapes the experience for families: you need to be organised early, and you should assume that a “back-up” preference matters.

As a Catholic school under the trusteeship of the Archdiocese of Liverpool, the admissions policy gives priority to Catholic children when applications exceed places. It sets out a published admissions number (PAN) of 200 for Year 7 entry, and it explains how priority is applied across criteria including looked-after and previously looked-after children, Catholic children in named parishes, and other faith and non-faith applicants once higher-priority categories are exhausted. Where there is a tie, distance is used, measured as a straight line from home to school using the council’s geographical information system.

Timeline and practicalities

For 2026 entry, the school’s published deadline for applications was 31 October 2025, and outcomes were due to be communicated on 1 March 2026 (or the next working day) by the local authority. If you are applying in a future year, expect the pattern to remain similar, and check the school’s admissions pages for the current cycle’s documents.

If your child is applying under Catholic criteria, the school’s published guidance is clear that you should complete the supplementary faith form and provide evidence such as a baptism certificate by the deadline. Families trying to judge their realistic position should focus on criteria first, not gut feel. The FindMySchool Map Search is useful here: even when distance is a tie-break rather than the main driver, small differences can matter once categories are applied.

Pastoral support is framed as a whole-school system, with the form tutor positioned as the day-to-day anchor for attendance, punctuality and wellbeing, and with heads of year and pastoral coordinators providing an escalation route when issues are more complex. That structure can help students feel “held” without being over-managed, especially through the jump from Year 6 to Year 7.

Mental health support is described in practical terms. The school states that it has a Social, Emotional, Mental Health (SEMH) Lead learning support assistant, working across SEND, pastoral and inclusion, and it names interventions such as Zones of Regulation, Social Stories, Block Therapy, Talk and Do, and sensory groups for autistic students. The school also describes itself as a Thrive school, with trained Thrive practitioners including the school chaplain and the SEMH lead.

For families, the value is not the branding but the clarity. A school that can name its support structures is easier to work with, particularly when a child’s confidence dips or attendance becomes fragile. It also helps parents know who to speak to first, and what the school is likely to suggest before a problem becomes entrenched.

Sport & facilities

The rebuild plans include a new sports offer that is unusually specific for a school website: a full-size, two-storey sports hall, a dance studio with mirrors and a ballet bar, a fitness suite, and an outdoor tarmacked multi-use games area marked for basketball, netball and football. For students who regulate stress through movement, this kind of provision can change the texture of the week, not just the timetable.

Service, trips and leadership

The extra-curricular offer is described as a published weekly programme, with guest speakers, coaches and specialist workshops invited into school. One concrete example is the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award in Year 10, including expeditions in the West Pennine Moors that build navigation, teamwork and self-reliance.

Service is also a strong pillar. The school highlights structured opportunities such as the Faith in Action Awards, student leadership through Catholic Life and Mission Pupil Ambassadors, and faith-based experiences including retreats and a Lourdes pilgrimage opportunity for older year groups. For students who thrive when they feel useful, this blend of service and leadership can be as motivating as sport or performance.

The school day is set out clearly: the warning bell is at 8:30am, with students expected in form by 8:35am, and the school references a 3:00pm end to the day. Expectations around punctuality and uniform are spelled out, so families should assume consistency is taken seriously.

For transport, the school directs families to Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) for bus routes, times and service queries. As the rebuild has involved site changes and reconfigured parking arrangements, it is sensible to sanity-check current drop-off and pick-up routines before you commit to a daily journey.

Competitive entry. With 433 applications for 193 offers (around 2.24 applications per place), securing a place is not straightforward. Families should treat admissions as a process to manage, with realistic alternatives, rather than as a single preference that will probably come off.

Catholic admissions expectations. This is a Catholic school with a published admissions policy that prioritises Catholic applicants when oversubscribed. If you are relying on Catholic criteria, the supplementary faith form and supporting evidence need to be handled carefully and on time, and the family should be comfortable with Catholic life being part of the school day.

Academic profile. The GCSE data includes a Progress 8 score of -0.58 and low EBacc outcomes (5.4% achieving grade 5+ across EBacc subjects). For some students, the right support and strong routines will be enough. For others, particularly those aiming for an EBacc-heavy route, it is wise to ask how the school decides entries and how it supports higher-attaining students to stretch.

No sixth form. The school ends at Year 11, so post-16 choices are a live issue for every family. That can be a positive, but it does mean you should look at local sixth form and college options early, so the transition feels planned rather than reactive.

St John Fisher Catholic High School is defined by clear routines, a strong Catholic identity, and a practical approach to pastoral and wellbeing support, with structured pathways for service and student leadership. The biggest challenge is getting a place in the first place, and the academic picture asks families to look closely at fit and support needs rather than relying on reputation. Best suited to families seeking a Catholic 11 to 16 education in Wigan, with students who respond well to clarity and who will benefit from a school where faith, behaviour and belonging are treated as everyday priorities.