Academy converter · Wigan

Highfield St Matthew's Church of England Primary School

3–11Ages
415Pupils
PrimaryPhase
Church of EnglandReligious character
145713URN

Billinge Road, Pemberton, Wigan, WN3 6BL · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Graded inspection · Mar 2023 Previous framework

Good

Quality of education
Behaviour and attitudes
Personal development
Leadership and management

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

1.9per place

close to Wigan median (1.9)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther primary schools in Wigan

79 applications for 41 places · 49th of 96 in Wigan

Every year since 2014

SATs · reading, writing and maths · 2024/25

81%met the expected standard

Wigan 67% England 64%

Reading, writing and maths

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Overall effectiveness: Good · 1 March 2023Ofsted's previous 4-point scale (to August 2024)
Area	Outstanding	Good	Requires improvement	Inadequate
Quality of education		Good
Behaviour and attitudes		Good
Personal development		Good
Leadership and management		Good
Early years provision		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

1.9applications per place, Reception

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

79 applications · 41 places offered · 39 named it first

FaithMay give priority to families of the faith.

2026 1.9; Wigan median median 1.9
2025 1.9; Wigan median median 1.9
2024 1.9; Wigan median median 2.1
2023 2.1; Wigan median median 2.1
2022 1.8; Wigan median median 2.0
2021 2.0; Wigan median median 2.0
2020 1.7; Wigan median median 2.1
2019 1.8; Wigan median median 2.1
2018 2.0; Wigan median median 2.2; as the previous school
2017 2.3; Wigan median median 2.3; as the previous school
2016 2.6; Wigan median median 2.3; as the previous school
2015 2.6; Wigan median median 2.3; as the previous school
2014 1.9; Wigan median median 2.4; as the previous school

More applications per place than the Wigan median in 1 of 8 years.

This school
Wigan median

Dashed bars: as Highfield St Matthew's CofE Primary School (URN 106450), the previous school.

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	41	79	1.9	39	0.95
Sep 2025	39	75	1.9	39	1.00
Sep 2024	38	72	1.9	38	1.00
Sep 2023	39	82	2.1	39	1.00
Sep 2022	48	86	1.8	46	0.96
Sep 2021	52	103	2.0	45	0.87
Sep 2020	58	101	1.7	58	1.00
Sep 2019	53	95	1.8	49	0.92
Sep 2018 *	60	122	2.0	67	1.12
Sep 2017 *	59	136	2.3	67	1.14
Sep 2016 *	60	154	2.6	72	1.20
Sep 2015 *	60	155	2.6	82	1.37
Sep 2014 *	73	141	1.9	63	0.86

How did pupils do in SATs?

DfE KS2 · 2024/25

Reading 85% · Writing 88% · Maths 86% → all three 81% met the expected standard, End of Year 6

Reading, writing and maths: expected standard81%14th of 97 in Wigan

Wigan 67% England 64%

Reading

Expected standard85%

Wigan 77% England 78%

Higher standard44%

Wigan 33% England 33%

Average scaled score 108 (100 = expected standard)

Writing

Expected standard88%

Wigan 76% England 75%

Greater depth24%

Wigan 14% England 12%

Maths

Expected standard86%

Wigan 80% England 77%

Higher standard29%

Wigan 26% England 24%

Average scaled score 107 (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	81%	14%	108	107
2023/24	57%	4%	104	104
2022/23	55%	2%	104	102

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

Highfield St Matthew's Church of England Primary SchoolThis school
This school

Good2023

1.9applications per place 81%met the SATs standard
St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Wigan
0.9 km · Wigan

Graded · no overall grade2024

1.9applications per place 84%met the SATs standard
St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School Wigan
1.0 km · Wigan

Remains Good2024

1.7applications per place 48%met the SATs standard
Winstanley Community Primary School
1.1 km · Wigan

Remains Outstanding2024

2.0applications per place 68%met the SATs standard
St Paul's Church of England Primary School
1.2 km · Wigan

Good2023

2.2applications per place 60%met the SATs standard
St John's CofE Primary School
1.2 km · Wigan

Remains Good2023

2.7applications per place 71%met the SATs standard
St Jude's Catholic Primary School Wigan
1.4 km · Wigan

Good2023

2.3applications per place 67%met the SATs standard
Marus Bridge Primary School
1.4 km · Wigan

Standards maintained2025

1.8applications per place 79%met the SATs standard
Westfield Community School
1.4 km · Wigan

Graded · no overall grade2024

1.4applications per place 46%met the SATs standard

School details

Type: Academy converter
Phase: Primary
URN · DfE number: 145713 · 359/3306
Trust: Liverpool Diocesan Schools Trust
Religious character: Church of England
Capacity: 480 pupils · 415 on roll
Free school meals: 23.5% of pupils (England median 23%)
Nursery: Has nursery classes
Opened: 1 November 2018
Replaced: Highfield St Matthew's CofE Primary School (URN 106450)
Address: Billinge Road, Pemberton, Wigan, WN3 6BL
Local authority: Wigan

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