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Best secondary schools in Wigan

19 of 20 secondary schools ranked by Progress 8 · all Wigan schools · primary schools

Ranked on Progress 8, 2023/24 — the most recent year each school has published. Official data, not our opinion — but the ranking is only as good as the measure, and a single number never describes a school.

# School Progress 8 Ofsted Places Catchment
1 St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-Makerfield Wigan 0.16 Good about even 1.11 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
2 Atherton High School Atherton hidden gem 0.0 Good about even 0.99 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
3 Golborne High School Warrington -0.05 Outstanding improving oversubscribed 1.18 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
4 Standish Community High School Wigan hidden gem -0.07 Good about even 0.9 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
5 Outwood Academy Hindley Wigan -0.08 Not judged about even 0.98 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
6 St Peter's Catholic High School Wigan -0.12 Good declining oversubscribed 1.2 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
7 Hawkley Hall High School Wigan -0.14 Not judged about even 0.93 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
8 Lowton Church of England High School Warrington hidden gem -0.17 Good improving about even 0.89 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
9 Shevington High School Wigan -0.18 Good about even 1.08 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
10 St Mary's Catholic High School Manchester -0.2 Good about even 1.02 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
11 Bedford High School Leigh hidden gem -0.24 Good about even 0.89 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
12 Fred Longworth High School Manchester -0.29 Good about even 1.1 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
13 The Deanery Church of England High School and Sixth Form College Wigan -0.31 Good about even 1.12 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
14 The Byrchall High School Wigan -0.4 Good improving oversubscribed 1.26 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
15 Cansfield High School Wigan hidden gem -0.55 Good undersubscribed 0.78 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
16 St John Fisher Catholic High School Wigan -0.58 Good about even 1.04 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
17 Dean Trust Rose Bridge Wigan -0.6 Not judged undersubscribed 0.65 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
18 The Westleigh School Leigh hidden gem -0.81 Good undersubscribed 0.82 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
19 Dean Trust Wigan Wigan -1.12 Requires improvement improving undersubscribed 0.79 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate

Also in Wigan

1 further secondary school with no published Progress 8 for the latest year — usually too small a cohort to report, newly opened, or a special school. Listed because leaving them out would make this a misleading picture of Wigan, not a fairer one.

Applying in Wigan

Knowing which school is best is only half of it — these are the deadlines that decide whether you can apply at all.

Rankings compare published results. They do not tell you which school your child will get into — that depends on where you live, sibling and faith priority, and how many people apply this year. Ask below, or check the Wigan admission criteria.

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