Schools by area › Wigan › St Richard's Roman Catholic Primary School Atherton
St Richard's Roman Catholic Primary School Atherton
Primary · Mixed · Ages 4–11 · Voluntary aided
Flapper Fold Lane, Atherton, Manchester M46 0HA · saintrichards.wigan.sch.uk · 01942 882980
Overview
- Ofsted
- Report card
- Apr 2026 · graded by area, with no overall grade
- Key stage 2, 2024/25
- 54%
- reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths. Wigan 66%, England 62%
- Demand for places
- 0.7
- first choices for each place · Reception, September 2026
- Pupils
- 184
- 88% of 210 places
- Local authority
- Wigan
- Nursery class
- No
- Free school meals
- 36.4%
- First language not English
- 29.3%
- School census 2025/26
The official school record (Department for Education)
Admissions
For Reception in September 2026, 11 families put the school first and 16 places were offered; 100% of those families were offered a place there. Admission depends on the school’s own rules.
First choices against places
| Reception | Places | First choices | Per place | % offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026Sept 2026 | 16 | 11 | 0.7 | 100% |
| September 2025Sept 2025 | 18 | 18 | 1 | 100% |
| September 2024Sept 2024 | 26 | 24 | 0.9 | 100% |
| September 2023Sept 2023 | 13 | 14 | 1.1▲ | 93% |
| September 2022Sept 2022 | 10 | 10 | 1 | 100% |
Results
In 2024/25, 54% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at the end of key stage 2, and 13% the higher standard. Across Wigan it was 66%, and across England 62%.
Expected standard reading, writing and maths
| 2024/25 | Trend | School | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading, writing and maths | |||
| ▼54% | 62% | ||
| ▲13% | 8% | ||
| Average scaled score | |||
| ▼101 | 106 | ||
| ●104 | 105 | ||
| ▼102 | 105 | ||
Ofsted
Ofsted inspected St Richard's Roman Catholic Primary School Atherton on 28 April 2026 and published a report card: each area has its own grade, and there is no overall grade.
- Inclusion: Needs attention
- Curriculum and teaching: Needs attention
- Achievement: Needs attention
- Attendance and behaviour: Needs attention
- Personal development and well-being: Expected standard
- Early years: Needs attention
- Leadership and governance: Needs attention
- Inspected
- 28 Apr 2026
- Report card
- Safeguarding
- Met
Graded areas
| Inclusion | Needs attention |
|---|---|
| Curriculum and teaching | Needs attention |
| Achievement | Needs attention |
| Attendance and behaviour | Needs attention |
| Personal development and well-being | Expected standard |
| Early years | Needs attention |
| Leadership and governance | Needs attention |
Previously: Remains Good, ungraded inspection, Jan 2022
Earlier inspections
September 2019 to November 2025
Jan 2022Ungraded inspectionRemains Good
Safeguarding Effective
Before September 2019
Jan 2017Good
Outcomes for pupils Good Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good Leadership and management Good Early years Good Safeguarding Effective Jan 2015Requires improvement
Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years Requires improvement
What parents said
71% of the parents who answered Ofsted’s Parent View survey would recommend the school (14 replies, to 2 January 2023).
- Recommend
- 71%
- Replies
- 14
- 8% · 2 Jan 2023
based on the 71% who raised concerns
based on the 21% who had a child bullied