School Chooser

Orrell Newfold Community Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedCouncil447 pupilsNurseryWigan
School Chooser Score
99
Well above
similar schools
Likely range 97 to 100
Out of 100. Better than 98% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedOutstandingLast Ofsted inspection, June 2024
Reached the expected level at 1193%England 63%
Attendance96.2%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families10%Far fewer than most schools
PlacesFull447 pupils, 409 places
Pupils per teacher22.8School workforce census

Orrell Newfold Community Primary School is a council school in Wigan for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 447 pupils, 38 more than it has places for. About 10 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 99 out of 100. That puts it well above schools like it, ahead of 98% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was outstanding, back in 2024.

St James Road, Orrell, Wigan, WN5 7BD01942 207134newfold.wigan.sch.ukMrs N Harris headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 5 June 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Outstanding overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Outstanding
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Outstanding
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Outstanding
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Outstanding
Early years
Outstanding
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1193%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level25%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score110.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score112.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 80%80%20172018: 88%88%20182019: 86%86%20192023: 90%90%20232024: 88%88%20242025: 93%93%2025
Since 2017: +13%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017WiganEngland
Pupils tested606061585760
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths93%88%90%86%88%80%66%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths25%15%26%12%9%17%10%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score110.0111.0110.0108.0108.0108.0105.7105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score112.0108.0108.0107.0107.0109.0105.4104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score110.0110.0111.0108.0109.0110.0105.6105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard95%93%97%95%91%90%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard98%95%95%93%91%93%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)93%90%92%88%91%82%
Reading progressReading progress score+3.0+2.6+3.1+4.3
Maths progressMaths progress score+2.1+1.1+2.8+5.0
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged100%86%100%73%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged92%89%85%82%

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.

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. Every gap at this school is 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
100%92%
Gap 8 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
91%96%
Gap 5 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
29%25%
Gap 4 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.

Full412 pupils for 409 places, 2024/25
101% full

The school is full, with 3 more pupils than it has places for. More families apply than can get in, so things like how close you live and whether an older brother or sister is already here decide who gets a place. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.

Will my child get a place?

The last child to get a place lived 0.7 miles away in 2026. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils, faith and other priority groups are placed first. After that, the closer you live, the better your chances. Type in your postcode to see how far away you are.

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. More children applied than there were places. The last place went to a child living 0.7 miles from the school. Living closer than that didn't guarantee a place, but living much further away meant missing out that year.

EntryPlacesGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary60600.7 milesLA

What a home within 0.7 miles of the school costs

Typical sale price within 0.7 miles of the school£225,000half sold for £175k to £296k
Homes sold203December 2023 to December 2025, Land Registry
Compared with the district+15%a typical home in the district sells for £195,000

Every home sold within that distance of the school (the typical cut-off over the last three years), of any type, from HM Land Registry records. If homes here cost more than the district average, that is the price people pay to live close enough to get in.

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 roll447Census January 2026
Places409109% full
Pupils from low-income families10%10% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English1%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support9%38 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%9 pupils with a plan
Average class size27.216 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)10%£63,550 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls220 / 227
White British pupils94%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 28.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 29.6 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Moderate learning difficulty (14), Specific learning difficulty (11), emotional and mental health (8), language and communications needs (7), Autistic spectrum disorder (5), Other difficulty or disability (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll447447456468465460
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals10%10%11%9%9%8%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language1%1%0%1%1%2%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support8%10%9%8%10%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%2%1%2%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.2% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.2%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school6.6%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.52024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.2%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence3.8%4.3%4.2%4.8%2.4%3.1%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.7%3.0%2.8%3.8%2.1%2.4%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.2%1.3%1.4%1.0%0.4%0.8%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence6.6%8.0%7.1%8.8%4.1%7.1%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.50.00.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers19.1full-time equivalent, 24 people
Pupils per teacher22.8Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants14.9full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£55,979
Teachers who left in the year10%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher1.92024/25

Money

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

Spend per pupil£5,878England £7,738. Total £2.6m
Income per pupil£5,981England £7,697. Total £2.6m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,099England £3,480
Money in reserve14%A healthy amount put by: £365k, £827 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£46kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£5,878spent 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 m1512 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate1 per 1,000 people99% lower than the England average
Typical house price£195,000Wigan
Nearest bus stop100 mRunning Horses, 12 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 James' Catholic Primary School OrrellRoman Catholic160 m347Good 202293Compare
Orrell Holgate AcademyAcademy840 m198Not inspected88Compare
St Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England1.3 miles211Good 202368Compare
Orrell Lamberhead Green AcademyAcademy1.4 miles408No overall grade 202591Compare
St John's CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England1.5 miles185Good 202359Compare
Crawford Village Primary SchoolCouncil1.6 miles79Outstanding 202299Compare
St Teresa's Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic1.6 miles227Good 201989Compare
Moorside Community Primary Academy SchoolAcademy1.7 miles256Good 202032Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Orrell Newfold Community Primary School with the 47 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 47 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats98%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
Near the very top of its group. Its score of 99 is 26 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 15 · middle 73 · highest 99100

No school with a similar mix of pupils within 25 km scores clearly higher.

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 99 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 99% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 97 to 100. 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%well above
+0.37
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 60 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%well above
+0.43
Ofsted grade, 2.3 years old
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.18
DfE progress measure; 60 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
+0.03
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.09
2024/25; 363 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well above
+0.22
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 60 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 Orrell Newfold Community Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Orrell Newfold Community Primary School scores 99 out of 100. That is well above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 98% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 97 to 100, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Orrell Newfold Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Orrell Newfold Community Primary School outstanding at its last full inspection on 5 June 2024.

How good are Orrell Newfold Community Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 93% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 25% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Orrell Newfold Community Primary School have?

447 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 409 places, so it is 109% full.

Is Orrell Newfold Community Primary School oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?

Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 0.7 miles away. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils and other priority groups come before distance, so the cut-off moves every year.

What is attendance like at Orrell Newfold Community Primary School?

Pupils were in school 96.2% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 7% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Orrell Newfold Community Primary School?

The average class had 27.2 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class 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
St James Road, Orrell, Wigan, WN5 7BD
Telephone
01942 207134
Website
www.newfold.wigan.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs N Harris
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
Wigan
Ward
Orrell
Constituency
Makerfield
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
106412 · LAESTAB 3592026 · UKPRN 10078948

Where these figures come from