The Westleigh School
Leigh, WN7 5NL · Wigan · secondary school
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13th of 19 secondary schools in Wigan we can score. Local and same-phase on purpose: a national table mostly measures who attends.
Narrow the comparison to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds and it does better still — 5.1/10 against 456 of them, against 3.0/10 nationally. Both figures are results only, without the inspection grade. A lower figure here means a stronger comparison group, not a weaker school.
How this is worked out
| Measure | Percentile | Weight | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ofsted | 52 | 35% | 1.84 |
| Grade 5+ English & maths 2025/26 | 43.3 · 45 | 30% | 1.36 |
| Progress 8 2023/24 | -0.81 · 6 | 25% | 0.14 |
| Attainment 8 2025/26 | 45.0 · 44 | 10% | 0.44 |
Each measure is read as a position among comparable schools, so a school in the middle of the country scores 5. Full method.
The Westleigh School overview
How it's doing
The school was rated Good by Ofsted in 2022. In 2024/25, 21.2% of pupils achieved Grade 5 or above in English and maths. Attainment 8 was 36.4, compared to the national median of 44.6. Progress 8 was -0.81 in 2023/24, indicating pupils did worse than those nationally who started from the same place. Its results are much the same when the comparison narrows to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds, so the gap is not explained by intake (0.9 out of 10 against similar schools, 0.6 out of 10 against all schools).
Beyond the classroom
Pupils participate in Westleigh Edge, Enrichment Week, Science Enrichment, and Students Clubs. Arts activities include the Westleigh Showcase. Trips include a Year 7 Residential and a Year 9 Forensic Masterclass. An after-school club is available.
Getting in
The published school roll is 976 pupils against a stated capacity of 1,050. These whole-school figures do not establish entry-year vacancies or the likelihood of an offer. Confirm entry-year availability and admissions criteria with the school or local authority.
Worth asking on a visit
How does the school support pupils to close the attainment gap with the national median? What specific support is available for students aiming to improve their Progress 8 scores? How does the after-school club integrate with the academic curriculum?
What Ofsted said about The Westleigh School
Overview
The Westleigh School is rated as ‘Good’ across all inspection categories. Pupils feel ‘happy and safe’, benefit from an ‘ambitious and inclusive curriculum’, and achieve well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
Strengths
- Leaders provide a ‘life-enhancing education’ with high expectations, ensuring disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND ‘achieve well’.
- Teachers possess ‘strong subject expertise’ and effectively reteach key knowledge until pupils are ‘confident that it is secure’.
- The school fosters a positive culture through the ‘Westleigh Pledge’, offering inclusive extra-curricular activities such as an angling club and GLOW group.
- Reading is strongly prioritised; leaders ‘systematically and quickly identify’ pupils who struggle, helping them become ‘confident and fluent readers’.
- Trustees and governors hold leaders to account, while an ‘agile approach to strategic planning’ considers staff workload and well-being.
Areas to improve
- In ‘one or two subjects’, leaders have not ‘organised the essential knowledge that pupils should learn well enough’, meaning pupils do not secure necessary knowledge. Leaders must ensure ‘all subject curriculums are designed well’.
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are ‘effective’, with staff trained to spot risks and report concerns ‘in a timely way’, ensuring pupils and families receive help ‘promptly’.
Results over time
Attainment 8, the years we hold.
| Year | Attainment 8 |
|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 34.1 |
| 2024/25 | 36.4 |
| 2025/26 | 45.0 |
| England | 44.9 |
Source: DfE Explore Education Statistics. “England” is the median of the 3,682 state schools in England we hold a 2025/26 figure for — a school-level median, not the DfE's pupil-weighted national figure.
Your offer chance
—Based on official applications/offers, distance and catchment where we have it. Bands only — never a percentage.
Sibling, faith, looked-after and other criteria can override distance. Always confirm with the school or local authority.
Next dates
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2026
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2027
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2027
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2028
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