School Chooser

Standish Community High School

Secondary · ages 11-16MixedAcademy1,276 pupilsWigan
School Chooser Score
42
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 32 to 51
Out of 100. Better than 4% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedAs expected teachingOfsted report card, February 2026
Strong pass in English and maths44%England 46%
Attendance92.7%England 91.4%
Pupils from low-income families18%Far fewer than most schools
Parents would recommend75%121 Parent View responses
Places24 spare1,276 pupils, 1,300 places

Standish Community High School is a converter academy in Wigan for boys and girls aged 11 to 16. It has 1,276 pupils and room for 1,300. About 18 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 42 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 4% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in February 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.

Kenyon Road, Standish, Wigan, WN6 0NX01257 422265standishchs.org.ukMrs Lindsay Barker head teacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted visited on 3 February 2026. Instead of one overall word, it now gives a grade for each part of school life. Read the full report on Ofsted's website.

TeachingOfsted calls this “curriculum and teaching”
As expected
Achievement
As expected
Behaviour and attendanceOfsted calls this “attendance and behaviour”
As expected
Support for every childOfsted calls this “inclusion”
As expected
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development and wellbeing”
As expected
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and governance”
As expected
SafeguardingAre pupils kept safe?
Pupils are kept safe
Met
Ofsted's scale:ExceptionalStrong standardExpected standardNeeds attentionUrgent improvement

Ofsted says these new grades can't be lined up against the old one-word grades.

Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
14 October 2021UngradedSchool remains Good

Results

GCSE results, summer 2025

259 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.

Average GCSE score49.7
England 46.8
Official name: Attainment 8
Strong pass in English and maths44%
England 46%
Official name: Grade 5+ in English and maths
Standard pass in English and maths69%
England 66%
Official name: Grade 4+ in English and maths
Progress from age 11-0.07In each subject, pupils here finished about level with children across England who started secondary school at the same level. (From 2023/24, the latest year there is. The government didn't work it out for the 2025 year group.)Official name: Progress 8
Trend
Average GCSE score
2018 to 2025
2018: 55.955.920182019: 54.754.720192022: 56.356.320222023: 53.553.520232024: 52.452.420242025: 49.749.72025
Since 2018: -6.2Declining overall
All GCSE measures, year by year
Measure202520242023202220192018†WiganEngland
Pupils at the end of Year 11259257249249246220
Average GCSE scoreAttainment 849.752.453.556.354.755.943.946.8
Progress from age 11Progress 8-0.07+0.05+0.17+0.21+0.23
Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths44%59%59%67%61%68%39%46%
Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths69%79%75%83%85%85%62%66%
Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score4.174.394.434.834.274.483.774.15
Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry27%17%16%74%7%6%31%41%
Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged37.737.938.040.640.045.3
Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged52.754.456.658.757.258.2
Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers28.530.432.224.328.2
Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers64.266.972.563.264.3

† These results are for Standish Community High School, the school this one replaced in December 2017. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Subjects

Results came out for 17 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.

Strongest subjects

Chemistry100%grades 9 to 5, England 81% · 131st of 2,537 schools
Biology97%grades 9 to 5, England 82% · 582nd of 2,570 schools
Art and Design71%grades 9 to 5, England 58% · 824th of 2,818 schools
English Language67%grades 9 to 5, England 54% · 585th of 3,210 schools

Subjects that did worse than the England average: Media / Film / TV (32% here, 55% across England), Computer Science (36% here, 56% across England).

What is taught hereOffers triple science, 2 languages, computer science.

The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.

Every subject against England, 2025
Mathematics259 entries · 8th of 19 in Wigan
48%England 53%
English Language259 entries · 2nd of 19 in Wigan
67%England 54%
English Literature256 entries · 2nd of 19 in Wigan
66%England 58%
Combined Science223 entries · 6th of 19 in Wigan
36%England 36%
Art and Design203 entries · 6th of 18 in Wigan
71%England 58%
History135 entries · 7th of 19 in Wigan
53%England 52%
Geography123 entries · 9th of 19 in Wigan
43%England 51%
Media / Film / TV115 entries · 2nd of 2 in Wigan
32%England 55%
Religious Studies114 entries · 4th of 13 in Wigan
65%England 60%
Physical Education68 entries · 6th of 8 in Wigan
50%England 56%
Spanish41 entries · 4th of 15 in Wigan
66%England 54%
Computer Science39 entries · 6th of 9 in Wigan
36%England 56%
Chemistry31 entries · 1st of 14 in Wigan
100%England 81%
Biology31 entries · 2nd of 14 in Wigan
97%England 82%
Physics31 entries · 2nd of 14 in Wigan
94%England 82%
French29 entries · 2nd of 7 in Wigan
69%England 60%
Drama19 entries
63%England 60%
SubjectEntriesGrades 9 to 7Grades 9 to 5Grades 9 to 4England 9 to 5Rank in England
Mathematics25913%48%71%53%1,889 of 3,211
English Language25926%67%83%54%585 of 3,210
English Literature25626%66%83%58%856 of 3,202
Combined Science2239%36%62%36%1,410 of 3,084
Art and Design20326%71%87%58%824 of 2,818
History13521%53%62%52%1,408 of 3,126
Geography12323%43%53%51%1,880 of 3,116
Media / Film / TV11510%32%54%55%511 of 580
Religious Studies11426%65%80%60%815 of 1,825
Physical Education6821%50%57%56%930 of 1,559
Spanish4142%66%81%54%588 of 1,941
Computer Science3910%36%56%56%1,447 of 1,861
Chemistry3181%100%100%81%131 of 2,537
Biology3174%97%100%82%582 of 2,570
Physics3165%94%100%82%876 of 2,546
French2938%69%90%60%749 of 1,974
Drama1947%63%74%60%

In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.

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. None of the gaps 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 GCSE, 2025

Average GCSE scoreLow-income pupils vs other pupils
37.752.7
Gap 15.0England 12.2
Strong pass in English and mathsLow-income pupils vs other pupils
19%50%
Gap 31 ptsEngland 22 pts
Average GCSE scoreBoys vs girls
45.953.0
Gap 7.1England 3.0
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

Open to all. There is no entrance test.

Nearly full1,292 pupils for 1,300 places, 2024/25
99% 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 (251 offers for 260 places).

EntryPlacesGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Secondary260251all offeredLA
2025 Secondary260260all offeredLA

What parents say

Would recommend the school75%England 77%
My child is happy here74%agree or strongly agree
My child feels safe78%
Positive overall73%
My child is happy at this school
74%England 75%
My child feels safe at this school
78%England 79%
Pupils are well behavedThe school makes sure its pupils are well behaved
70%England 71%
Has your child been bullied here?Parents answering yes
28% yesEngland 26%
Bullying was dealt with quickly and effectivelyOnly parents whose child was bullied
41%England 48%
My child gets the right support to learn well
74%England 71%
Does your child have SEND?Parents answering yes
30% yesEngland 31%
The school gives them the support they needOnly parents of children with SEND
56%England 58%
The school communicates well with me
75%England 71%
My concerns have been dealt with properlyWhen I have raised concerns
64%England 58%
Decisions put the child's best interests first
65%England 67%
I would recommend this school
75%England 77%
Overall view of the school is positive
73%England 67%
Strongly agreeAgreeDon't knowDisagreeStrongly disagreeEngland, agree or yes

From Ofsted's Parent View survey: 121 parents answered in the year to 6 April 2026. Parents choose whether to fill it in, and many only do so when an inspection is coming, so don't read too much into small differences. The England figures are the average for secondary schools with enough answers to publish.

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 roll1,276Census January 2026
Places1,30098% full
Pupils from low-income families18%18% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English8%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support11%145 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%21 pupils with a plan
Average class size23.354 classes, January 2026; England 22.8
Classes with more than 30 pupils20%share of one-teacher classes; England 12%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)18%£254,100 extra funding in 2026/27; England 30%
Boys and girls654 / 622
White British pupils85%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (58), Autistic spectrum disorder (35), Specific learning difficulty (25), Moderate learning difficulty (20), language and communications needs (12), Hearing impairment (6).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll1,2761,2921,2971,2861,2851,280
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals18%17%16%15%13%11%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language8%6%4%3%3%3%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support12%15%15%12%11%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%2%2%2%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 92.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.

Attendance92.7%
England 91.4%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school19.2%
England 23.9%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils9.32024/25, 1 permanent exclusion
Missed without permission2.0%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence7.3%7.2%7.0%8.2%4.9%4.9%8.6%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence5.3%5.2%5.0%6.2%3.8%3.7%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence2.0%2.0%2.1%2.1%1.0%1.2%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence19.2%17.0%17.0%22.5%11.7%10.4%23.9%
SuspensionsSuspension rate9.37.17.312.56.3
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions15300

What pupils do next

After GCSEs

Where the 249 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training93%and stayed there for at least six months

Among pupils from low-income families it was 86%, compared with 94% for everyone else.

Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers2019/20 leavers
Still in education, work or training93%94%95%96%
Education84%83%84%87%
Apprenticeship7%7%7%4%
Work2%4%4%6%
Not in education, work or training6%6%4%4%

Staff and money

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

Teachers69.8full-time equivalent, 74 people
Pupils per teacher18.3Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants12.0full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£56,463
Teachers who left in the year13%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher5.42024/25

Money

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

Spend per pupil£6,536England £7,965. Total £8.4m
Income per pupil£7,052England £8,423. Total £9.1m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,204England £4,444
Money in reserve10%A healthy amount put by: £946k, £732 per pupil. England 10%
Money in against money out+£667kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,536spent 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

Local crime rate2 per 1,000 people98% lower than the England average
Typical house price£195,000Wigan
Nearest bus stop70 mStandish Community High School, 11 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 secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Shevington High SchoolCouncil0.9 miles878Report card 202660Compare
St John Fisher Catholic High SchoolRoman Catholic2.5 miles998Report card 202617Compare
The Deanery Church of England High School and Sixth Form CollegeChurch of England3.3 miles1,365Report card 202640Compare
Dean Trust WiganAcademy3.5 miles715Requires improvement 20236Compare
St Peter's Catholic High SchoolRoman Catholic3.6 miles1,026Good 202459Compare
Southlands High SchoolAcademy3.6 miles821Requires improvement 202410Compare
Holy Cross Catholic High SchoolRoman Catholic3.7 miles976Good 202282Compare
Dean Trust Rose BridgeAcademy4.0 miles692No overall grade 202523Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Standish Community High 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.

Beats4%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
Near the bottom of its group. Its score of 42 is 38 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 26 · middle 80 · highest 99100

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 Standish Community High 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
Penketh High SchoolAcademy14.1 miles1,058Good 202054Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 42 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 42% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 32 to 51. 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 years20%above
+0.09
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 259 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%below
-0.08
Ofsted report card, 0.6 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
+0.00
DfE progress measure; 259 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.08
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.05
2024/25; 1,321 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well below
-0.13
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 259 pupils
What pupils do next5%above
+0.02
249 pupils
What parents say5%in line
-0.01
Ofsted's Parent View survey, allowing for how many parents replied; 121 responses

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 Standish Community High School a good school?

It is about average. Standish Community High School scores 42 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 4% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 32 to 51, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Standish Community High School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 3 February 2026 it rated teaching as as expected, achievement as as expected, behaviour and attendance as as expected, leadership as as expected.

How good are Standish Community High School's GCSE results?

In summer 2025, 44% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 49.7, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished about level with children across England who started secondary school at the same level.

How many pupils does Standish Community High School have?

1,276 pupils aged 11 to 16 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,300 places, so it is 98% full.

Is Standish Community High 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 Standish Community High School?

Pupils were in school 92.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 19% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

What do parents say about Standish Community High School?

75% of the 121 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey would recommend it to other parents, and 74% say their child is happy there. Across England, 77% of parents would recommend their child's school.

How big are the classes at Standish Community High School?

The average class had 23.3 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 20% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

Does Standish Community High School have a sixth form?

No. Pupils leave after Year 11 for a sixth form elsewhere, a college or an apprenticeship; 93% of 2022/23 leavers were still in education, work or training six months on.

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

Contact and details

Address
Kenyon Road, Standish, Wigan, WN6 0NX
Telephone
01257 422265
Website
www.standishchs.org.uk
Head Teacher
Mrs Lindsay Barker
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Secondary school, ages 11-16
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Mosaic Learning Trust (3 schools)
Local authority
Wigan
Ward
Standish with Langtree
Constituency
Wigan
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 December 2017 (academy converter)
URN
143812 · LAESTAB 3594034 · UKPRN 10061809
Formerly
Standish Community High School

Recent changes

  • New KS4 results for 2024/25

Where these figures come from