Secondary schools in Wigan
Where pupils go after Year 11 and after sixth form, school by school, with GCSE results. Destinations are for the 2023 leavers; results are from 2025.
Wigan has 19 state-funded secondary schools. Of the 3,620 pupils who finished Year 11 here in 2023, 82% stayed in education (England 86%): 6% in a school sixth form, 33% at a sixth form college, 41% at a further education college.
Apprenticeships take 5% of leavers, well above the England rate of 3%.
After sixth form, 39% of students in Wigan went to university (England 37%), and 17% of level 3 students reached one of the most selective universities (England 19%).
GCSE results in 2025: Attainment 8 of 43.4 against 46.1 for England; 39% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 45%).
After Year 11: Wigan against England
| Measure | Wigan | England |
|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 3,620 | 607,348 |
| Stayed in education | 82% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 6% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 33% | 13% |
| — further education college | 41% | 37% |
| Apprenticeship | 5% | 3% |
| Employment | 4% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 7% | 6% |
Where each school’s Year 11 leavers went
One band per school, sorted by the size of its 2023 Year 11 cohort. Band width is pupils; hover a band for the share, click a school for its profile. Counts are worked back from the percentages DfE publishes, so a band can be out by a pupil.
Map of secondary schools in Wigan
Darker blue means a larger share of Year 11 leavers stayed in education. Click a school for details. Basemap © OpenStreetMap contributors.
State-funded secondary schools (19)
Sorted by name. Click a school for its full picture. “Stayed in education” counts school sixth forms, sixth form colleges and FE colleges together.
| School | Pupils | Stayed in education | School sixth form | FE college | Apprenticeship | To university | Attainment 8 | 5+ Eng & maths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atherton High SchoolFree schools | 561 | 89% | 0% | 70% | 3% | — | 39.3 | 26% |
| Bedford High SchoolCommunity school | 1,111 | 74% | — | 55% | 7% | — | 45.5 | 48% |
| Cansfield High SchoolCommunity school | 974 | 76% | 0% | 43% | 10% | — | 44.4 | 41% |
| Dean Trust Rose BridgeAcademy sponsor led | 692 | 73% | 0% | 65% | 4% | — | 39.7 | 29% |
| Dean Trust WiganAcademy sponsor led | 715 | 74% | 0% | 52% | 6% | — | 33.1 | 23% |
| Fred Longworth High SchoolAcademy converter | 1,283 | 82% | 3% | 55% | 5% | — | 45.9 | 45% |
| Golborne High SchoolFoundation school | 1,144 | 79% | 1% | 31% | 7% | — | 50.1 | 46% |
| Hawkley Hall High SchoolAcademy converter | 1,170 | 82% | 0% | 42% | 4% | — | 40.4 | 37% |
| Lowton Church of England High SchoolFoundation school | 814 | 83% | 1% | 40% | 5% | — | 47.5 | 39% |
| Outwood Academy HindleyAcademy sponsor led | 908 | 79% | 1% | 53% | 4% | — | 40.0 | 31% |
| Shevington High SchoolCommunity school | 878 | 86% | 1% | 38% | 5% | — | 49.0 | 52% |
| Standish Community High SchoolAcademy converter | 1,276 | 84% | — | 41% | 7% | — | 49.7 | 44% |
| St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-MakerfieldVoluntary aided school | 1,204 | 89% | 2% | 29% | 4% | — | 49.1 | 51% |
| St John Fisher Catholic High SchoolVoluntary aided school | 998 | 84% | 0% | 40% | 4% | — | 41.3 | 35% |
| St Mary's Catholic High SchoolVoluntary aided school · sixth form | 1,537 | 85% | 47% | 29% | 4% | 45% | 44.2 | 38% |
| St Peter's Catholic High SchoolVoluntary aided school | 1,026 | 87% | 0% | 19% | 5% | — | 51.1 | 52% |
| The Byrchall High SchoolAcademy converter | 1,138 | 82% | 1% | 36% | 4% | — | 41.3 | 39% |
| The Deanery Church of England High School and Sixth Form CollegeVoluntary aided school · sixth form | 1,365 | 88% | 26% | 32% | 3% | 31% | 45.7 | 40% |
| The Westleigh SchoolAcademy sponsor led | 976 | 79% | 2% | 61% | 3% | — | 36.4 | 21% |
Independent schools, colleges and special schools with published data (9)
| School | Pupils | Stayed in education | School sixth form | FE college | Apprenticeship | To university | Attainment 8 | 5+ Eng & maths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St John Rigby RC Sixth Form Collegecollege · Further education | — | — | — | — | — | 55% | — | — |
| Wigan and Leigh Collegecollege · Further education | — | — | — | — | — | 15% | — | — |
| Winstanley Collegecollege · Further education · sixth form | — | — | — | — | — | 64% | — | — |
| Cambian Tyldesley Schoolspecial · Other independent special school | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | 5.9 | 0% |
| Expanse Learning Wigan Schoolspecial · Other independent special school | 89 | — | — | — | — | — | 13.1 | 8% |
| Hope Schoolspecial · Community special school · sixth form | 233 | 88% | 0% | 0% | 0% | — | — | — |
| Newbridge Learning Communityspecial · Community special school | 83 | 73% | 0% | 20% | 0% | — | 18.9 | 0% |
| Oakfield High School and Collegespecial · Community special school · sixth form | 413 | 100% | 0% | 9% | 0% | — | 5.5 | 0% |
| The Holden Schoolspecial · Other independent special school | 70 | — | — | — | — | — | 2.3 | 11% |