Atherton High School
Free schools · 561 pupils
89% stayed in education · Attainment 8 39.3
Voluntary aided school
The Deanery Church of England High School and Sixth Form College
- Pupils on roll
- 1,365of 1,389 places
- Free school meals
- 32.1%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 249
- Ofsted
- Report card, 9 June 2026Read the Ofsted report
Curriculum and teaching Expected standardAchievement Expected standardAttendance and behaviour Expected standardPersonal development and wellbeing Strong standardInclusion Expected standardLeadership and governance Expected standardPost-16 provision Expected standardSafeguarding Met
What the data says
Of the 251 pupils who finished Year 11 at The Deanery Church of England High School and Sixth Form College in 2023, 26% stayed on in The Deanery Church of England High School and Sixth Form College’s own sixth form (Wigan average 6%), 32% went to a further education college and 3% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 89 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 31% went to university (Wigan 39%, England 37%), and 4% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally; 15% started an apprenticeship, well above the 7% England average.
Religious Studies is unusually popular at GCSE: 96% of the year group took it, against 31% of pupils across England.
A level grades average C-, well below the England average of B-. The largest A level subjects are History, Psychology and Physical Education.
Where pupils went after Year 11
Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Wigan and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | This school | Wigan | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 251 | 3,620 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 95% | 91% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 88% | 82% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 26% | 6% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 29% | 33% | 13% |
| — further education college | 32% | 41% | 37% |
| — other education | 1% | 2% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 3% | 5% | 3% |
| Employment | 4% | 4% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 4% | 7% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 2% | 2% | 3% |
Where students went after sixth form
Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | This school | Wigan | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 89 | 3,563 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 81% | 82% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 31% | 39% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 4% | 17% | 19% |
| Further education | 2% | 4% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 15% | 11% | 7% |
| Employment | 31% | 27% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 16% | 14% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | This school | Wigan | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 45.7 | 43.4 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 40% | 39% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 66% | 61% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 8% | 30% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 3.83 | 3.73 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 25% | 28% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 41.0 | 33.5 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 47.3 | 47.2 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 7% | 8% | 19% |
Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.
Subjects taken at GCSE
Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England | Grades 7–9 | England | Grades 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 248 | 100% | 88% | 14% | 22% | 74% |
| English Literature | 248 | 100% | 86% | 19% | 21% | 67% |
| English Language | 248 | 100% | 89% | 15% | 20% | 72% |
| Religious Studies | 240 | 96% | 31% | 17% | 32% | 57% |
| Combined Science | 212 | 85% | 65% | 10% | 9% | 63% |
| Geography | 156 | 63% | 41% | 6% | 25% | 50% |
| History | 110 | 44% | 41% | 32% | 26% | 63% |
| Physical Education | 68 | 27% | 11% | 15% | 24% | 72% |
| Business Studies | 45 | 18% | 18% | 13% | 20% | 60% |
| Design and Technology | 40 | 16% | 11% | 38% | 23% | 83% |
| Media Studies | 35 | 14% | 4% | 9% | 20% | 69% |
| Chemistry | 29 | 12% | 23% | 41% | 47% | 97% |
| Biology | 29 | 12% | 23% | 48% | 45% | 97% |
| Physics | 29 | 12% | 23% | 48% | 46% | 93% |
| Computer Science | 26 | 10% | 13% | 12% | 30% | 85% |
| Art and Design | 23 | 9% | 7% | 13% | 24% | 91% |
| Music | 17 | 7% | 5% | 53% | 33% | 100% |
| Textiles | 15 | 6% | 2% | 7% | 27% | 93% |
| Spanish | 13 | 5% | 19% | 15% | 27% | 85% |
| French | 12 | 5% | 18% | 33% | 29% | 67% |
| Polish | 1 | 0% | 1% | — | 84% | — |
| Chinese | 1 | 0% | 1% | — | 75% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electronic / Electrical Engineering | 33 | 69% | — |
| Health Studies | 26 | 54% | — |
| Hospitality / Catering Studies | 16 | 33% | — |
| Childcare Skills | 13 | 27% | — |
| Speech and Drama | 7 | 15% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | This school | Wigan | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 126 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 48 | 1,713 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | C- | B- | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 27.21 | 36.37 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | C+ | B- | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 13% | 17% | 18% |
| Average grade, applied general courses | — | — | — |
| Average grade, T levels | — | — | — |
A level subjects
Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| History | 12 | 25% | 13% |
| Psychology | 11 | 23% | 23% |
| Physical Education | 8 | 17% | 3% |
| Geography | 8 | 17% | 10% |
| Mathematics | 7 | 15% | 31% |
| D and T Engineering | 6 | 13% | 0% |
| English Literature | 6 | 13% | 11% |
| Art and Design | — | — | 1% |
| Biology | — | — | 20% |
| Chemistry | — | — | 17% |
| English Language | — | — | 4% |
| Further Mathematics | — | — | 5% |
| Media Studies | — | — | 4% |
| Physics | — | — | 12% |
| Religious Studies | — | — | 4% |
| Sociology | — | — | 13% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social Science | VRQ Level 3 | 22 | 46% | — |
| Engineering Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3 | 11 | 23% | — |
| Law / Legal Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 9 | 19% | — |
| Business Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3 | 8 | 17% | — |
| Chemistry | GCE AS level (All) | 6 | 13% | — |
| Study Skills | Extended Project (Diploma) | 6 | 13% | — |
| English Language | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (Band D) | — | — | — |
| Law / Legal Studies | BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (Band D) | — | — | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC National Diploma L3 - Band J - PP-D*D* | — | — | — |
| Childcare Skills | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Sound Recording | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Sports Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Biology | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| English Language | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Geography | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| History | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Physics | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Biology | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Chemistry | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Geography | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| History | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Physics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Business Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Certificate at Level 3 | — | — | — |
| Engineering Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Certificate at Level 3 | — | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Wigan
Bedford High School
Community school · 1,111 pupils
74% stayed in education · Attainment 8 45.5
Cansfield High School
Community school · 974 pupils
76% stayed in education · Attainment 8 44.4
Dean Trust Rose Bridge
Academy sponsor led · 692 pupils
73% stayed in education · Attainment 8 39.7
Dean Trust Wigan
Academy sponsor led · 715 pupils
74% stayed in education · Attainment 8 33.1
Fred Longworth High School
Academy converter · 1,283 pupils
82% stayed in education · Attainment 8 45.9
Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.