Wigan schools in numbers
How Wigan's 142 schools compare with North West and England on every headline measure, with the council's rank out of the English councils that have data. Ranks run from best to worst for each measure (highest attendance first, lowest exclusions first, and so on).
Schools142open, all types
Pupils48,372on roll
Primary schools99
Secondary schools19
Who the pupils are
| Measure | Wigan | North West | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils from low-income familiesJanuary 2026 · 127 schools | 30.4% | 29.0% | 26.3% | 97thof 151 |
| Pupils attracting pupil premiumnow · 125 schools | 30.0% | 29.8% | 27.1% | 88thof 151 |
| Pupils learning EnglishJanuary 2026 · 127 schools | 12.8% | 16.7% | 18.6% | 96thof 151 |
| Pupils with SEN supportJanuary 2025 · 131 schools | 15.4% | 14.5% | 14.5% | 48thof 151 |
| Pupils with an EHC planJanuary 2025 · 131 schools | 12.0% | 12.7% | 11.6% | 75thof 151 |
Classrooms and teachers
| Measure | Wigan | North West | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average class sizeJanuary 2026 · 116 schools | 26.9 | 24.9 | 25.0 | 148thof 151 |
| Classes with more than 30 pupilsJanuary 2026 · 116 schools | 13.4% | 11.5% | 10.6% | 130thof 151 |
| Pupils per teacherJanuary 2026 · 126 schools | 20.5 | 19.1 | 19.0 | 140thof 151 |
| Teachers leaving each year2024/25 · 125 schools | 12.3% | 13.5% | 15.0% | 17thof 151 |
| Average teacher payJanuary 2026 · 124 schools | £53,048 | £51,081 | £51,377 | 33rdof 151 |
| Sick days per teacher2024/25 · 121 schools | 4.3 | 5.0 | 4.7 | 56thof 151 |
Attendance and behaviour
| Measure | Wigan | North West | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attendance2024/25 · 122 schools | 94.0% | 93.7% | 93.8% | 49thof 151 |
| Persistently absent pupils2024/25 · 122 schools | 15.0% | 15.9% | 15.8% | 46thof 151 |
| Suspensions per 100 pupils2024/25 · 122 schools | 4.5 | 6.7 | 7.0 | 29thof 151 |
Money
| Measure | Wigan | North West | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spend per pupil2024/25 · 123 schools | £8,221 | £9,291 | £9,273 | – |
| Spent on teachers per pupil2024/25 · 123 schools | £3,653 | £4,183 | £4,229 | 143rdof 151 |
| Reserves as a share of income2024/25 · 127 schools | 10.4% | 6.6% | 8.3% | 39thof 151 |
| Schools in deficit2024/25 · 127 schools | 8.7% | 15.2% | 14.1% | 38thof 151 |
Results
| Measure | Wigan | North West | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strong pass in English and maths GCSE2024/25 · 19 schools | 38.6% | 42.3% | 46.1% | 129thof 150 |
| Average GCSE score2024/25 · 19 schools | 43.9 | 45.3 | 47.0 | 120thof 150 |
| Reached the expected level at 112024/25 · 97 schools | 65.8% | 61.3% | 63.1% | 50thof 151 |
| Reached the higher level at 112024/25 · 97 schools | 9.6% | 7.1% | 8.3% | 49thof 151 |
Ofsted, score and places
| Measure | Wigan | North West | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inspected under the new report cardsnow · 119 schools | 13% | 15% | 13% | 58thof 151 |
| Good or outstanding (old grades)now · 79 schools | 99% | 93% | 94% | 28thof 151 |
| Scored above similar schoolsnow · 116 schools | 33% | 32% | 35% | 83rdof 151 |
| Places taken2024/25 · 117 schools | 94.0% | 88.5% | 86.2% | 6thof 151 |
| Academies and free schoolsnow · 141 schools | 24% | 38% | 52% | 143rdof 154 |
| Free breakfast clubsnow · 141 schools | 7.1% | 14.6% | 12.0% | 120thof 154 |
Trends
Trend
Attendance
2016 to 2025
WiganEngland
Since 2016: -1.6%
Trend
Pupils from low-income families
2019 to 2026
WiganEngland
Since 2019: +11.9%
Trend
Strong pass in English and maths GCSE
2017 to 2025
WiganEngland
Since 2017: +0.9%
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2016 to 2025
WiganEngland
Since 2016: +7.5%
Trend
Suspensions per 100 pupils
2007 to 2025
WiganEngland
Since 2007: +1.2