School Chooser

Atherton St George's CofE Primary School

Primary · ages 2-11MixedAcademyChurch of England333 pupilsNurseryManchesterWigan
School Chooser Score
37
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 19 to 59
Out of 100. Better than 52% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, June 2023
Reached the expected level at 1156%England 63%
Attendance93.2%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families52%Far more than most schools
Places30 spare333 pupils, 363 places
Pupils per teacher18.8School workforce census

Atherton St George's CofE Primary School is a converter academy in Manchester for boys and girls aged 2 to 11. It has 333 pupils and room for 363. About 52 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 37 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 52% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Derby Street, Atherton, Manchester, M46 0HJ01942 883971saintgeorges.wigan.sch.ukMrs Lisa Boardman executive headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 20 June 2023, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes
Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
6 March 2020UngradedSchool remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

45 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1156%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level2%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score105.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score104.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 61%61%20172018: 57%57%20182019: 39%39%20192023: 52%52%20232024: 68%68%20242025: 56%56%2025
Since 2017: -5%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017†WiganEngland
Pupils tested454444444436
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths56%68%52%39%57%61%66%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths2%7%2%2%5%11%10%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0105.0103.0101.0104.0103.0105.7105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score104.0102.0102.099.0102.0102.0105.4104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score104.0104.0101.0102.0103.0104.0105.6105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard78%77%68%59%70%81%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard76%75%66%45%68%67%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)64%82%73%75%75%81%
Reading progressReading progress score-0.9+2.8+3.4+5.4
Maths progressMaths progress score+0.1-0.3+2.7+3.4
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged46%57%52%31%57%57%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged68%78%53%50%57%69%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

† These results are for Atherton St George's CofE Primary School, the school this one replaced in April 2017. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 2 of the 3 gaps are smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
46%68%
Gap 22 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
56%55%
Gap 1 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%2%
Gap 2 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Nearly full303 pupils for 315 places, 2024/25
96% full

Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.

Will my child get a place?

In 2026 every child who applied got a place, so how far away you live didn't matter. That could change if the school gets more popular.

We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.

How places were given out for September 2026. Every child who applied got a place (45 offers for 45 places).

EntryPlacesGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary4545all offeredLA

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll333Census January 2026
Places36392% full
Pupils from low-income families49%52% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English14%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support48%161 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%5 pupils with a plan
Average class size27.011 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils9%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)51%£235,600 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls165 / 168
White British pupils78%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 25.2 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 28.5 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (70), language and communications needs (63), Moderate learning difficulty (20), Autistic spectrum disorder (7), Other difficulty or disability (2), Specific learning difficulty (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll333353358361346363
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals49%49%46%44%43%42%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language14%13%11%10%8%8%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support43%43%44%43%34%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans1%1%2%2%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.2% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance93.2%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school20.4%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils4.32024/25, 4 permanent exclusions
Missed without permission2.1%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.8%7.0%7.1%7.1%4.4%4.0%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.8%5.2%5.8%6.2%3.7%2.8%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence2.1%1.8%1.3%0.9%0.8%1.2%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence20.4%19.1%18.4%20.7%7.8%6.9%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate4.35.00.30.61.4
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions41002

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers17.0full-time equivalent, 17 people
Pupils per teacher18.8Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants18.2full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£49,947
Teachers who left in the year0%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher7.22024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£6,945England £7,128. Total £2.3m
Income per pupil£7,340England £7,587. Total £2.4m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,726England £3,405
Money in reserve14%A healthy amount put by: £339k, £1,029 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£130kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,945spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m212 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate0 per 1,000 people100% lower than the England average
Typical house price£195,000Wigan
Nearest bus stop50 mDerby Street, 29 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
St Richard's Roman Catholic Primary School AthertonCatholic350 m184Report card 202616Compare
Meadowbank Primary SchoolCouncil470 m220Good 202357Compare
Parklee Primary SchoolAcademy0.7 miles325No overall grade 2025Compare
St Michael's CofE Primary School, Howe BridgeChurch of England0.7 miles207Good 202360Compare
St Philip's CofE Primary School, AthertonChurch of England0.7 miles397Good 202361Compare
Chowbent Primary SchoolVoluntary0.7 miles147Not inspected18Compare
St James CofE Primary School, Daisy HillChurch of England1.0 miles445Good 202445Compare
Sacred Heart RC Primary SchoolRoman Catholic1.1 miles178Report card 202615Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Atherton St George's CofE Primary School with the 50 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 50 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats52%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 37 is about the same as the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 2 · middle 36 · highest 93100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 50 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Atherton St George's CofE Primary School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
St Gabriel's Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic1.6 miles375No overall grade 202485Compare
Limehurst Community Primary SchoolCouncil15.4 miles323Good 202466Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 37 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 37% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 19 to 59. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%below
-0.11
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 45 pupils
Ofsted inspection20% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.2 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
-0.02
DfE progress measure; 45 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
+0.03
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well below
-0.11
2024/25; 274 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
+0.03
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 45 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Atherton St George's CofE Primary School a good school?

It is about average. Atherton St George's CofE Primary School scores 37 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 52% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 19 to 59, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Atherton St George's CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Atherton St George's CofE Primary School good at its last full inspection on 20 June 2023.

How good are Atherton St George's CofE Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 56% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 2% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Atherton St George's CofE Primary School have?

333 pupils aged 2 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 363 places, so it is 92% full.

Is Atherton St George's CofE Primary School oversubscribed?

Often. Fewer than one place in twenty was empty in 2024/25, so popular year groups fill up.

What is attendance like at Atherton St George's CofE Primary School?

Pupils were in school 93.2% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 20% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Atherton St George's CofE Primary School?

The average class had 27.0 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 9% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Derby Street, Atherton, Manchester, M46 0HJ
Telephone
01942 883971
Website
www.saintgeorges.wigan.sch.uk
Executive Headteacher
Mrs Lisa Boardman
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 2-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Manchester
Multi-academy trust
The Wings' CE Trust (3 schools)
Local authority
Wigan
Ward
Atherton North
Constituency
Leigh and Atherton
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 April 2017 (academy converter)
URN
144371 · LAESTAB 3593429 · UKPRN 10062840
Formerly
Atherton St George's CofE Primary School

Where these figures come from