St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell

Wigan · WN5 7AA

General information Primary School · 4-11 years Who goes here 347 pupils, 9.5% FSM

Parent score Rate this school No reviews yet - be the first SEN 12.1% on SEN support Behaviour 3.4% absence rate Staff 8.9% turnover Financials £6,231 per pupil Environment Buildings and facilities

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St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell

General Information

Address: St James Road, Orrell, Wigan, WN5 7AA – View on map
Phone: 01942748455
Website: Visit school website
Headteacher: Mr Gary Hayes
Age range: 4-11 years
Demand for places (Reception, September 2026): 54 families put it first for 46 places – 12 for every 10 places. 85% of them were offered a place. 6 of the 46 places went to families living outside the council area. Children putting it first, for every 10 places: 2023 9 · 2024 10 · 2025 10 · 2026 12
Sixth form: No
Intake: Mixed
Religious character: Roman Catholic
Nursery provision: No

Who goes here

347 pupils out of 405 places

Pupils eligible for free school meals: 33
% eligible for free school meals: 9.5%
Pupil mix: 1 in 10 (less mixed than the Wigan average)
English as an additional language: 3% (England 22%)

Staff

Teachers leaving each year

Teacher turnover: 8.9% a year (Wigan 12.9%, typical in England 13.9%) Low turnover
Where they went: about 60% moved to another school, 40% left state schools altogether (retirement, other careers, independent schools, abroad)
Data years: 2022/23 to 2024/25 (average of 3 years, DfE school workforce census)

Teachers who moved school or left state schools in the year after each November, as a share of all the school's teachers. Some turnover is healthy – retirements, promotions, moving house. "Low turnover" means it's among the quarter of similar schools in England where teachers are most likely to stay.

Behaviour

Awaiting Data

About this Behaviour status

We've asked this school for real behaviour figures under Freedom of Information and haven't had a response yet.

Across Wigan: suspensions by reason

Suspensions for sexual misconduct: 4 (0.1 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Permanent exclusions for sexual misconduct: 0
Suspensions for bullying: 2 (0.1 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Suspensions for abuse against sexual orientation or gender identity: 0 (0.0 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.0)
Data year: 2024/25 (DfE suspensions and exclusions statistics)

These are figures for all state primary schools in Wigan, not this school's own – the government doesn't publish them school by school. A suspension can have up to three reasons. Most sexual harassment between pupils never leads to a suspension, so these figures show only part of the picture.

Attendance

Overall absence: 3.4%
Persistently absent pupils: 4.9%
Data year: 2024/25

About persistent absence

A pupil is counted as "persistently absent" if they miss 10% or more of their possible school sessions - roughly one day in every two weeks. Schools and Ofsted both pay close attention to this figure specifically, since it can highlight a pattern the overall absence rate alone might hide.

SEN

No dedicated Unit or Resourced Provision

SEN Unit and Resourced Provision

Most mainstream schools don't have a dedicated SEN Unit or Resourced Provision - it isn't a mark against a school that doesn't, just a different kind of setup than one that does.

Pupils on SEN Support: 12.1%
Pupils with an EHC Plan: 0.9%
Data year: 2025/26

Most common needs - SEN Support

Moderate learning difficulty: 38 pupils
Social, emotional and mental health: 3 pupils
Speech, language and communications needs: 1 pupil

Most common needs - EHC Plan

Social, emotional and mental health: 1 pupil
Speech, language and communications needs: 1 pupil
Autistic spectrum disorder: 1 pupil

These figures show the makeup of the school.

About these SEND figures

These figures give a sense of the makeup of the school - they aren't a judgement on the quality of support provided.

Parent score - no reviews yet –

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Behaviour

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Openness

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Teaching Quality

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School Ethos

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Ability to Deal with Problems

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Headteacher Approval

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SafeguardingSafeguarding (parent rating)How parents rate the school on keeping children safe - how safe their child feels, and how well concerns are listened to and acted on. It's parents' experience, not an inspection result; Ofsted checks safeguarding separately.

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Wraparound CareWraparound Care (parent rating)How parents rate the school's breakfast and after-school clubs - availability, cost and quality. Only asked for infant, junior and primary schools, where it matters most for working parents.

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Would recommend –

Educational Attainment

Good 2022 report

About this Ofsted rating

Ofsted changed how it rates schools in the last couple of years, so ratings from different years aren't always on the same scale - that's why we show the year alongside every rating.

Year 6 SATs results

Met the expected standard in reading, writing & maths: 80% (England 62%)
Reached the higher standard: 20% (England 8%)
Compared with the area: 14 percentage points above the Wigan average (66%)
Compared with schools with similar pupils: Well above (3-year average 83% against an expected 66%)
3-year average (expected standard): 83%
Expected standard by subject: Reading 90% · Writing 87% · Maths 88% · Grammar, punctuation & spelling 87%
Average test scores: reading 110, maths 109
Based on: 60 Year 6 pupils, 2024/25

View the School Context Comparator – how this school's SATs results compare with schools teaching similar pupils.

SATs results over time

This schoolWigan averageEngland→ Broadly steady No clear rise or fall since 2022/23 (changes this small are normal from one year group to the next). In 2024/25 this school was 14 percentage points above the Wigan average (66%).

Year 6 SATs: joint 17th of 97 junior and primary schools in the area

=14Tyldesley Primary School81%
=17Hindley Green Community Primary School80%
=17St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell80%
#19Marus Bridge Primary School79%
=20Orrell Lamberhead Green Academy78%

Click to see the full ranking

Year 6 SATs ranking

Junior and primary schools in this area, ranked by the % of Year 6 pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (official DfE results, 2024/25). Schools with the same result share a place (shown as =). In small schools one or two children can move a school several places, so treat close positions as roughly equal.

Rank School Score

=1Gilded Hollins Community School97%
=1Nicol Mere School97%
=3Orrell Newfold Community Primary School93%
=3Woodfield Primary School93%
#5St Marie's Catholic Primary School Standish91%
#6St Luke's CofE Primary School90%
#7Golborne Community Primary School89%
#8St David Haigh and Aspull CofE Primary School88%
#9Holy Family RC Primary School, New Springs, Wigan87%
=10Orrell Holgate Academy86%
=10St Benedict's Catholic Primary School Hindley86%
=12St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Wigan84%
=12Standish St Wilfrid's Church of England Primary Academy84%
=14Highfield St Matthew's Church of England Primary School81%
=14Our Lady's RC Primary School Wigan81%
=14Tyldesley Primary School81%
=17Hindley Green Community Primary School80%
=17St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell80%
#19Marus Bridge Primary School79%
=20Orrell Lamberhead Green Academy78%
=20R L Hughes Primary School78%
=20Wood Fold Primary School78%
=23Aspull Church Primary School77%
=23Garrett Hall Primary School77%
=23Hindsford CofE Primary School77%
=26Beech Hill Community Primary School76%
=26Bryn St Peter's CofE Primary School76%
=28Castle Hill St Philip's CofE Primary School73%
=28Holy Family Catholic Primary School73%
=28St Ambrose Barlow Catholic Primary School73%
=28St Catherine's Catholic Primary School, Lowton73%
=28St Patrick's Catholic Primary School73%
=33Platt Bridge Community School72%
=33St Gabriel's Catholic Primary School72%
=35Hindley All Saints CofE Primary School71%
=35Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School71%
=35St John's Church of England Primary School, Hindley Green71%
=35St John's CofE Primary School71%
=35St Peter's Church of England Primary School, Hindley71%
=35St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton71%
=41Meadowbank Primary School70%
=41Shevington Vale Primary School70%
=43All Saints Catholic Primary School, Golborne, Wigan68%
=43Winstanley Community Primary School68%
=45Leigh St John's CofE Primary67%
=45St Jude's Catholic Primary School Wigan67%
=45St Mary and St John Catholic Primary School67%
=45St Michael's CofE Primary School, Howe Bridge67%
=45St Thomas CofE Junior and Infant School67%
=45Wigan St Andrew's CofE Junior and Infant School67%
=51Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School64%
=51Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Hindley Green64%
=53Lowton West Primary School63%
=53St Stephen's CofE Primary School63%
=53St Wilfrids Catholic Primary School63%
#56St James' Church of England Primary School62%
=57Sacred Heart RC Primary School61%
=57Tyldesley St George's Central CofE Primary School and Nursery61%
=59Leigh CofE Primary School60%
=59Leigh St Peter's CofE Primary School60%
=59St Paul's Church of England Primary School60%
=59Twelve Apostles Catholic Primary School60%
#63St Thomas CofE Primary School59%
=64Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery58%
=64Newton Westpark Primary School58%
=64St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School58%
=64St John's CofE Primary School Mosley Common58%
=68Bedford Hall Methodist Primary School57%
=68Mab's Cross Primary School57%
=70Atherton St George's CofE Primary School56%
=70Lowton Junior and Infant School56%
=72Holy Family Catholic Academy55%
=72Leigh Central Primary School55%
=72Millbrook Primary School55%
=72St Mary's CofE Primary School55%
=72Standish Lower Ground St Anne's CofE Primary School55%
=72Westleigh St Paul's CofE Primary School55%
=78St Richard's Roman Catholic Primary School Atherton54%
=78St William's Catholic Primary School54%
=80St Oswald's Catholic Primary School52%
=80Wigan Worsley Mesnes Community Primary School52%
=82Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh51%
=82St John's Church of England Primary School, Abram51%
=84Britannia Bridge Primary School50%
=84Marsh Green Primary School50%
=86Ince CofE Primary School48%
=86St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School Wigan48%
=86St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh48%
#89Westfield Community School46%
#90St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Leigh45%
#91St Mark's CofE Primary School44%
=92Christ Church CofE Primary School, Pennington43%
=92Leigh St Mary's CofE Primary School43%
#94Leigh Westleigh Methodist Primary School42%
#95St Catharine's CofE Primary School38%
#96Chowbent Primary School36%
#97Bickershaw CofE Primary School27%

View full Ofsted inspection report

52nd of 75 primary schools in Wigan for Ofsted rating

#50St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School WiganGood
#51St David Haigh and Aspull CofE Primary SchoolGood
#52St James' Catholic Primary School OrrellGood
#53St James' Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#54St John's Church of England Primary School, AbramGood

Click to see the full ranking

Ofsted Rating ranking

Based on real Ofsted ratings (via official DfE data) for schools on the same four-word grading scale.

Rank School Score

#1All Saints Catholic Primary School, Golborne, WiganOutstanding
#2Garrett Hall Primary SchoolOutstanding
#3Holy Family RC Primary School, New Springs, WiganOutstanding
#4Leigh St John's CofE PrimaryOutstanding
#5Nicol Mere SchoolOutstanding
#6Orrell Newfold Community Primary SchoolOutstanding
#7Our Lady's RC Primary School WiganOutstanding
#8St Marie's Catholic Primary School StandishOutstanding
#9St Mary and St John Catholic Primary SchoolOutstanding
#10Winstanley Community Primary SchoolOutstanding
#11Aspull Church Primary SchoolGood
#12Atherton St George's CofE Primary SchoolGood
#13Bedford Hall Methodist Primary SchoolGood
#14Beech Hill Community Primary SchoolGood
#15Bickershaw CofE Primary SchoolGood
#16Britannia Bridge Primary SchoolGood
#17Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and NurseryGood
#18Castle Hill St Philip's CofE Primary SchoolGood
#19Chowbent Primary SchoolGood
#20Christ Church CofE Primary School, PenningtonGood
#21Gilded Hollins Community SchoolGood
#22Golborne Community Primary SchoolGood
#23Highfield St Matthew's Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#24Hindley All Saints CofE Primary SchoolGood
#25Hindley Green Community Primary SchoolGood
#26Hindley Junior and Infant SchoolGood
#27Holy Family Catholic Primary SchoolGood
#28Ince CofE Primary SchoolGood
#29Leigh Central Primary SchoolGood
#30Leigh CofE Primary SchoolGood
#31Leigh St Mary's CofE Primary SchoolGood
#32Leigh Westleigh Methodist Primary SchoolGood
#33Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary SchoolGood
#34Lowton West Primary SchoolGood
#35Marus Bridge Primary SchoolGood
#36Meadowbank Primary SchoolGood
#37Millbrook Primary SchoolGood
#38Newton Westpark Primary SchoolGood
#39Orrell Holgate AcademyGood
#40Parklee Primary SchoolGood
#41Platt Bridge Community SchoolGood
#42R L Hughes Primary SchoolGood
#43Sacred Heart Catholic Primary SchoolGood
#44Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Hindley GreenGood
#45St Ambrose Barlow Catholic Primary SchoolGood
#46St Benedict's Catholic Primary School HindleyGood
#47St Bernadette's Catholic Primary SchoolGood
#48St Catharine's CofE Primary SchoolGood
#49St Catherine's Catholic Primary School, LowtonGood
#50St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School WiganGood
#51St David Haigh and Aspull CofE Primary SchoolGood
#52St James' Catholic Primary School OrrellGood
#53St James' Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#54St John's Church of England Primary School, AbramGood
#55St John's Church of England Primary School, Hindley GreenGood
#56St John's CofE Primary SchoolGood
#57St John's CofE Primary School Mosley CommonGood
#58St Jude's Catholic Primary School WiganGood
#59St Luke's CofE Primary SchoolGood
#60St Mark's CofE Primary SchoolGood
#61St Mary's CofE Primary SchoolGood
#62St Michael's CofE Primary School, Howe BridgeGood
#63St Oswald's Catholic Primary SchoolGood
#64St Paul's Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#65St Peter's Church of England Primary School, HindleyGood
#66St Philip's CofE Primary School, AthertonGood
#67St Thomas CofE Junior and Infant SchoolGood
#68St Thomas CofE Primary SchoolGood
#69St Thomas' CofE Primary School, LeighGood
#70St William's Catholic Primary SchoolGood
#71Standish Lower Ground St Anne's CofE Primary SchoolGood
#72Tyldesley Primary SchoolGood
#73Tyldesley St George's Central CofE Primary School and NurseryGood
#74Westleigh St Paul's CofE Primary SchoolGood
#75Wigan Worsley Mesnes Community Primary SchoolGood

Financials

Spending per pupil: £6,231 (2024-25)

About this spending figure

A higher or lower position here isn't a sign of a better or worse school - schools have different needs and circumstances - but it can help reassure you that a school has sufficient funding behind your child's education.

66th of 98 primary schools in Wigan for spending per pupil

#64Wigan St Andrew's CofE Junior and Infant School£6,261
#65Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School£6,248
#66St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell£6,231
#67St Stephen's CofE Primary School£6,225
#68Golborne Community Primary School£6,204

Click to see the full ranking

Spending Per Pupil ranking

Based on official DfE financial return data (Consistent Financial Reporting / Academies Accounts Return) - not a ranking of school quality.

Rank School Score

#1Meadowbank Primary School£9,112
#2Leigh Central Primary School£9,048
#3Marsh Green Primary School£8,564
#4St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School Wigan£8,467
#5Newton Westpark Primary School£8,286
#6St David Haigh and Aspull CofE Primary School£8,206
#7Westfield Community School£8,189
#8St Jude's Catholic Primary School Wigan£8,153
#9St James' Church of England Primary School£8,018
#10St Catharine's CofE Primary School£7,971
#11Chowbent Primary School£7,914
#12Standish Lower Ground St Anne's CofE Primary School£7,826
#13St Mary's CofE Primary School£7,746
#14St John's Church of England Primary School, Hindley Green£7,741
#15St Marie's Catholic Primary School Standish£7,714
#16Bickershaw CofE Primary School£7,651
#17Westleigh St Paul's CofE Primary School£7,592
#18Beech Hill Community Primary School£7,568
#19Britannia Bridge Primary School£7,561
#20St Mark's CofE Primary School£7,548
#21Wigan Worsley Mesnes Community Primary School£7,517
#22Christ Church CofE Primary School, Pennington£7,516
#23Castle Hill St Philip's CofE Primary School£7,468
#24St John's CofE Primary School£7,423
#25Bryn St Peter's CofE Primary School£7,405
#26Leigh St Mary's CofE Primary School£7,390
#27St William's Catholic Primary School£7,385
#28Hindsford CofE Primary School£7,364
#29Ince CofE Primary School£7,343
#30Leigh St Peter's CofE Primary School£7,339
#31St Gabriel's Catholic Primary School£7,326
#32Sacred Heart RC Primary School£7,219
#33Holy Family RC Primary School, New Springs, Wigan£7,164
#34St Wilfrids Catholic Primary School£7,142
#35St Richard's Roman Catholic Primary School Atherton£7,140
#36St John's CofE Primary School Mosley Common£7,055
#37St Patrick's Catholic Primary School£7,051
#38St Benedict's Catholic Primary School Hindley£7,048
#39Millbrook Primary School£7,033
#40Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Leigh£6,995
#41Atherton St George's CofE Primary School£6,945
#42Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery£6,944
#43Lowton Junior and Infant School£6,901
#44Tyldesley St George's Central CofE Primary School and Nursery£6,898
#45Leigh St John's CofE Primary£6,845
#46St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School£6,819
#47Bedford Hall Methodist Primary School£6,765
#48St Thomas CofE Primary School£6,747
#49Twelve Apostles Catholic Primary School£6,728
#50Leigh Westleigh Methodist Primary School£6,714
#51All Saints Catholic Primary School, Golborne, Wigan£6,705
#52Shevington Vale Primary School£6,658
#53Leigh CofE Primary School£6,605
#54St Thomas CofE Junior and Infant School£6,600
#55Wood Fold Primary School£6,586
#56Hindley All Saints CofE Primary School£6,579
#57St Luke's CofE Primary School£6,571
#58St Oswald's Catholic Primary School£6,493
#59Our Lady's RC Primary School Wigan£6,470
#60St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Wigan£6,417
#61Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School£6,342
#62St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Leigh£6,323
#63St Paul's Church of England Primary School£6,308
#64Wigan St Andrew's CofE Junior and Infant School£6,261
#65Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School£6,248
#66St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell£6,231
#67St Stephen's CofE Primary School£6,225
#68Golborne Community Primary School£6,204
#69Woodfield Primary School£6,198
#70St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton£6,196
#71Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Hindley Green£6,149
#72St John's Church of England Primary School, Abram£6,133
#73Garrett Hall Primary School£6,117
#74Standish St Wilfrid's Church of England Primary Academy£6,099
#75St Mary and St John Catholic Primary School£6,050
#76Gilded Hollins Community School£6,046
#77St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Leigh£6,018
#78Hindley Green Community Primary School£5,948
#79Holy Family Catholic Primary School£5,936
#80Nicol Mere School£5,902
#81Orrell Newfold Community Primary School£5,878
#82Mab's Cross Primary School£5,870
#83Holy Family Catholic Academy£5,838
#84St Catherine's Catholic Primary School, Lowton£5,827
#85R L Hughes Primary School£5,804
#86Aspull Church Primary School£5,792
#87St Michael's CofE Primary School, Howe Bridge£5,761
#88Lowton West Primary School£5,737
#89Marus Bridge Primary School£5,732
#90St Ambrose Barlow Catholic Primary School£5,722
#91Winstanley Community Primary School£5,721
#92Highfield St Matthew's Church of England Primary School£5,639
#93Orrell Lamberhead Green Academy£5,500
#94Tyldesley Primary School£5,371
#95St Peter's Church of England Primary School, Hindley£5,258
#96Platt Bridge Community School£4,150
#97Parklee Primary School£2,521
#98Orrell Holgate Academy£1,115

View on the Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool (GOV.UK)

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