Voluntary aided school · Wigan

St Richard's Roman Catholic Primary School Atherton

4–11Ages
184Pupils
PrimaryPhase
CatholicReligious character
106498URN

Flapper Fold Lane, Atherton, Manchester, M46 0HA · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Report card · inspected Apr 2026

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement

Safeguarding standards met

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

2.3per place

0.3 above Wigan median (1.9)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther primary schools in Wigan

36 applications for 16 places · 34th of 96 in Wigan

Every year since 2014

SATs · reading, writing and maths · 2024/25

54%met the expected standard

Wigan 67% England 64%

Reading, writing and maths

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Report card · inspected 28 April 2026Published 21 June 2026 · safeguarding standards met · no overall grade
Area	Exceptional	Expected standard	Needs attention
Inclusion			Needs attention
Curriculum and teaching			Needs attention
Achievement			Needs attention
Attendance and behaviour			Needs attention
Personal development and wellbeing		Expected standard
Early years			Needs attention
Post-16 provision	Does not apply to this school
Leadership and governance			Needs attention

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Does not apply

Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

Inspection history

28 April 2026
Report card · 1 Expected standard, 6 Needs attention
20 January 2022
Ungraded inspection: School remains Good

Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades

About these grades

Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.

How hard is it to get a place?

DfE · Sept 2026 entry

2.3applications per place, Reception

0.3 above Wigan median (1.9) close to England median (2.2)

36 applications · 16 places offered · 11 named it first

FaithMay give priority to families of the faith.

2026 2.3; Wigan median median 1.9
2025 1.7; Wigan median median 1.9
2024 1.7; Wigan median median 2.1
2023 2.6; Wigan median median 2.1
2022 2.4; Wigan median median 2.0
2021 2.0; Wigan median median 2.0
2020 1.4; Wigan median median 2.1
2019 1.7; Wigan median median 2.1
2018 2.1; Wigan median median 2.2
2017 1.9; Wigan median median 2.3
2016 2.5; Wigan median median 2.3
2015 2.3; Wigan median median 2.3
2014 2.3; Wigan median median 2.4

This school
Wigan median

Reception applications for September 2027 close 15 January 2027, through your council

How this is measured

Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.

Entry	Places	Applications	Per place	First preferences	First-pref. ratio
Sep 2026	16	36	2.3	11	0.69
Sep 2025	18	31	1.7	18	1.00
Sep 2024	26	45	1.7	24	0.92
Sep 2023	13	34	2.6	14	1.08
Sep 2022	10	24	2.4	10	1.00
Sep 2021	20	39	2.0	20	1.00
Sep 2020	21	29	1.4	18	0.86
Sep 2019	22	37	1.7	22	1.00
Sep 2018	16	33	2.1	8	0.50
Sep 2017	14	27	1.9	9	0.64
Sep 2016	16	40	2.5	16	1.00
Sep 2015	18	42	2.3	12	0.67
Sep 2014	16	37	2.3	12	0.75

How did pupils do in SATs?

DfE KS2 · 2024/25

Reading 54% · Writing 71% · Maths 75% → all three 54% met the expected standard, End of Year 6

Reading, writing and maths: expected standard54%78th of 97 in Wigan

Wigan 67% England 64%

Reading

Expected standard54%

Wigan 77% England 78%

Higher standard17%

Wigan 33% England 33%

Average scaled score 101 (100 = expected standard)

Writing

Expected standard71%

Wigan 76% England 75%

Greater depth25%

Wigan 14% England 12%

Maths

Expected standard75%

Wigan 80% England 77%

Higher standard21%

Wigan 26% England 24%

Average scaled score 104 (100 = expected standard)

This school
Wigan median
England median

Every year as a table

Year	Expected standard	Higher standard	Reading score	Maths score
2024/25	54%	13%	101	104
2023/24	77%	10%	107	107
2022/23	83%	11%	109	109

Subject results are published for the latest year only. Scaled scores run from 80 to 120.

Schools nearby

The 8 nearest primary schools in a straight line, in any local authority

St Richard's Roman Catholic Primary School AthertonThis school
This school

2026

2.3applications per place 54%met the SATs standard
Meadowbank Primary School
0.1 km · Wigan

Good2023

1.8applications per place 70%met the SATs standard
Atherton St George's CofE Primary School
0.4 km · Wigan

Good2023

1.6applications per place 56%met the SATs standard
St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton
0.8 km · Wigan

Good2023

1.9applications per place 71%met the SATs standard
Chowbent Primary School
0.8 km · Wigan

Standards maintained2025

2.2applications per place 36%met the SATs standard
Parklee Primary School
1.0 km · Wigan

Graded · no overall grade2025

3.5applications per place
St Michael's CofE Primary School, Howe Bridge
1.3 km · Wigan

Good2023

2.9applications per place 67%met the SATs standard
Sacred Heart RC Primary School
1.7 km · Wigan

2026

2.6applications per place 61%met the SATs standard
Hindsford CofE Primary School
1.7 km · Wigan

Graded · no overall grade2024

2.7applications per place 77%met the SATs standard

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Does not apply

Eight dots, one per area: inclusion, curriculum, achievement, attendance, personal development, early years, post-16, leadership. Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

School details

Type: Voluntary aided school
Phase: Primary
URN · DfE number: 106498 · 359/3396
Religious character: Catholic
Capacity: 210 pupils · 184 on roll
Free school meals: 36.4% of pupils (England median 23%)
Address: Flapper Fold Lane, Atherton, Manchester, M46 0HA
Local authority: Wigan

Data last changed 3 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources