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Schools in Ashton-in-Makerfield

A town in Wigan

  • Town
  • 21 schools and nurseries
  • 5,354 pupils

In short: Most primary schools here are rated Good or better, about the same as across England. Results at 11 are above England, and results at 16 were close to England in 2026. Fewer pupils miss a lot of school than across England.

Three children with backpacks crossing a street
A red-brick school building under a blue sky

Ashton-in-Makerfield at a glance

Ahead of England on results at 11

How Ashton-in-Makerfield's schools compare with England, area by area.

DfE and Ofsted data, 2014 to 2026How we work this out
  • Schools and nurseries218 primary · 3 secondary · 7 nurseries
  • Primaries Good or better100%England 96%
  • Met the standard at 1166%England 62%
  • Grade 5 in English and maths43%Attainment 8 45.3, England 46.2
  • Free school meals, primary24%A sign of family income
  • Missed a lot of school16%England 18%
Top-rated

The highest-rated schools in Ashton-in-Makerfield

Primary and secondary schools are ranked by Eduscope score, which weighs up results, inspections, attendance and more. Nurseries, special and independent schools aren't ranked. A high score isn't everything: always visit.

All Ashton-in-Makerfield primary schools

Top Primary Schools in Ashton-in-Makerfield

8 mainstream schools in Ashton-in-Makerfield, best first

Nicol Mere School

Wigan, WN4 8DF · State · Primary · Ages 4 to 11

  • Ofsted:Outstanding

Results well above the England average.

96 first choices, 60 offers made

Met the standard at 1197%

England 62%

Days missed
3.4%
Pupils
418
Pupils per teacher
21.2
View school Nicol Mere School
See all 10 primary schools

Top Secondary Schools in Ashton-in-Makerfield

3 mainstream schools in Ashton-in-Makerfield, best first

St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-Makerfield

Wigan, WN4 9PF · State · Secondary · Ages 11 to 16

  • Ofsted:Strong standard in every area

Results above the England average.

258 first choices, 233 offers made

Attainment 8 at 1650.4

England 46.2

Days missed
7.0%
Pupils
1,204
Pupils per teacher
16.1
View school St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-Makerfield

Cansfield High School

Wigan, WN4 9TP · State · Secondary · Ages 11 to 16

  • Ofsted:Good

Results below the England average.

135 first choices, 172 offers made

Attainment 8 at 1641.7

England 46.2

Days missed
7.0%
Pupils
974
Pupils per teacher
17.4
View school Cansfield High School

The Byrchall High School

Wigan, WN4 9PQ · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 16

  • Ofsted:Good

Results below the England average.

315 first choices, 250 offers made

Attainment 8 at 1642.8

England 46.2

Days missed
9.4%
Pupils
1,138
Pupils per teacher
16.3
View school The Byrchall High School
See all 5 secondary schools

Nurseries in Ashton-in-Makerfield

7 in Ashton-in-Makerfield, highest Ofsted grade first

See all 7 nurseries

Special Schools in Ashton-in-Makerfield

3 in Ashton-in-Makerfield. Eduscope doesn't rank these.

Learn 4 Life School

Skelmersdale, WN4 0QD · Independent · Secondary · Ages 11 to 16

  • Ofsted:Good

Specialist provision. Results aren't published in the same way.

Results

Not published for this kind of school.

Days missed
–
Pupils
16
Pupils per teacher
–
View school Learn 4 Life School

Willow Grove Primary School

Wigan, WN4 8XF · Special · Primary · Ages 5 to 11

  • Ofsted:Good

Specialist provision. Results aren't published in the same way.

Results

Not published for this kind of school.

Days missed
7.0%
Pupils
68
Pupils per teacher
5.7
View school Willow Grove Primary School

Martha H School

Wigan, WN4 0LZ · Independent · All-through · Ages 5 to 18

  • No Ofsted grade yet

Specialist provision. Results aren't published in the same way.

Results

Not published for this kind of school.

Days missed
–
Pupils
28
Pupils per teacher
–
View school Martha H School

Private Schools in Ashton-in-Makerfield

2 in Ashton-in-Makerfield. Eduscope doesn't rank these.

Learn 4 Life School

Skelmersdale, WN4 0QD · Independent · Secondary · Ages 11 to 16

  • Ofsted:Good

Specialist provision. Results aren't published in the same way.

Results

Not published for this kind of school.

Days missed
–
Pupils
16
Pupils per teacher
–
View school Learn 4 Life School

Martha H School

Wigan, WN4 0LZ · Independent · All-through · Ages 5 to 18

  • No Ofsted grade yet

Specialist provision. Results aren't published in the same way.

Results

Not published for this kind of school.

Days missed
–
Pupils
28
Pupils per teacher
–
View school Martha H School
The map

Every school in Ashton-in-Makerfield, on one map

Each dot is a school or nursery, coloured by its latest Ofsted grade. Point at a dot to see its name, or use the list.

See them as a list
Show
Garswood Primary and Nursery School, Strong standard or betterRectory CofE Primary School, Needs attention in 2 areasR L Hughes Primary School, GoodNicol Mere School, OutstandingBryn St Peter's CofE Primary School, Expected standard or betterSt Thomas CofE Primary School, GoodSt Oswald's Catholic Primary School, GoodSt Wilfrids Catholic Primary School, Expected standard in every areaCansfield High School, GoodSt Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Strong standard in every areaLearn 4 Life School, GoodWillow Grove Primary School, GoodThe Byrchall High School, GoodMartha H SchoolFirst Steps at Cansfield, GoodHilton Street Childcare, GoodHappy Hours Day Nursery & Kool Kidz, OutstandingOver The Rainbow, GoodNURSERYANDM.E LTD, GoodCareLoveLearn at St Oswald'sKids Planet Mere House, Expected standard in every area
  • Outstanding2
  • Good11
  • Not graded yet8
Before you apply

Apply through the council where you live

Schools in Ashton-in-Makerfield sit in 2 council areas. Your home council handles your application, wherever the school is. Living nearby doesn't guarantee a place: each school's admission rules decide.

By age

What's on offer for each age

Pick a stage to see every Ashton-in-Makerfield school for that age, with filters for type, faith and Ofsted grade.

More ways to narrow it down

Here's how Ashton-in-Makerfield's schools break down by type, faith and more.

Postcodes

Browse Ashton-in-Makerfield by postcode

Some areas, like parts of a bigger town, are easiest to find by postcode.

Ashton-in-Makerfield vs England

How good are Ashton-in-Makerfield's schools?

Inspections, exam results and attendance, next to the figure for England where we have it.

Worked out by Eduscope from each school's published figures. Not an official statistic for this town.

Numbers that sum up Ashton-in-Makerfield

Ashton-in-MakerfieldEngland

  • Primaries rated Good or Outstanding

    Latest Ofsted grade, 4 primaries with one.

    100%

    England 96%

    Close to England

  • Secondaries rated Good or Outstanding

    2 of the 2 with a grade.

    100%

    England 93%

    Above England

  • Met the expected standard at 11

    Reading, writing and maths.

    66%

    England 62%

    Above England

  • Grade 5 or above in English and maths

    At GCSE.

    43%

  • Pupils who miss a lot of school

    Missed 1 in 10 days or more. Lower is better.

    16%

    England 18%

    Better than England

  • Primary pupils on free school meals

    A sign of family income, not of school quality.

    24%

Ofsted grades

Latest graded inspection for the 8 schools that have one.

100%

Good or Outstanding

  • Outstanding1
  • Good7
  • Requires improvement0
  • Inadequate0

How it has changed

Ashton-in-Makerfield in blue. There were no tests in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid.

Met the expected standard at 11
Covid gap50%65%80%20182019202320242025
66% in 2025. England now 62% (dashed line).
Grade 5 or above in English and maths
Covid gap30%45%60%2018201920222023202420252026
43% in 2026.
Pupils who miss a lot of school
Covid gap0%15%30%20142015201620172018201920212022202320242025
16% in 2025. England now 18% (dashed line).
Living here

What it's like for families

Ashton-in-Makerfield has 21 schools and nurseries.

There are 2% more pupils than in 2018, but numbers have fallen since 2025.

24% of primary pupils here get free school meals. Schools get extra money for each of them.

Pupil numbers

Pupils in Ashton-in-Makerfield's state schools each January.

Up 2% since 2018. More children can mean popular schools fill up faster.

Free school meals

Out of every 10 primary pupils, how many get free school meals. It's a sign of family income, not of school quality.

Ashton-in-Makerfield24%

Dates to know

Apply through your local council, even for academies and faith schools.

  • 31 OctSecondary deadlineFor children starting Year 7.
  • 15 JanPrimary deadlineFor children starting Reception.
  • 1 MarSecondary offersOffers day for Year 7 places.
  • 16 AprPrimary offersOffers day for Reception places.

Keep up with schools in Ashton-in-Makerfield

Follow any school and we'll email you when it gets a new Ofsted report or new results are out. Nothing else.

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Questions

Questions parents ask about Ashton-in-Makerfield

Nearby areas

How many schools are in Ashton-in-Makerfield?

Ashton-in-Makerfield has 21 schools, including 10 primary schools, 5 secondary schools, 7 nurseries, 2 independent schools, 3 special schools. Some count in more than one group. You can browse each category using the filters on Eduscope.

What are the best schools in Ashton-in-Makerfield?

The highest-ranked schools in Ashton-in-Makerfield on Eduscope are Nicol Mere School, Garswood Primary and Nursery School, St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-Makerfield. We rank each state school against schools of the same phase across England on its Ofsted inspection, results and attendance. Independent, special and nursery schools aren't ranked.

What percentage of schools in Ashton-in-Makerfield are rated Good or Outstanding?

100% of inspected schools in Ashton-in-Makerfield hold a Good or Outstanding Ofsted rating, which is above the England average of 94.8%. This includes 1 school rated Outstanding and 7 rated Good.

How do primary schools in Ashton-in-Makerfield perform at Key Stage 2?

Across primary schools in Ashton-in-Makerfield, 66% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths at Key Stage 2. This is based on the latest published results from the Department for Education.

What is the average pupil-teacher ratio in Ashton-in-Makerfield?

The average pupil-teacher ratio across schools in Ashton-in-Makerfield is 16.9:1. While not a direct measure of class size, this indicates the level of teaching resource available per pupil. Across England it is 17.9:1.

What is the persistent absence rate in Ashton-in-Makerfield schools?

The persistent absence rate across schools in Ashton-in-Makerfield is 16.4%. A pupil is classed as persistently absent if they miss 10% or more of school sessions. Across England it is 18.1%.

How many pupils attend schools in Ashton-in-Makerfield?

There are 5,354 pupils enrolled across schools in Ashton-in-Makerfield, with 2,038 in primary and 3,316 in secondary. 25.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals.

How many private schools are in Ashton-in-Makerfield?

There are 2 independent schools in Ashton-in-Makerfield, all special schools for children with special educational needs, where councils usually pay the fees. You can compare them on Eduscope, including inspection reports where available.

How do I choose the right school in Ashton-in-Makerfield?

Start by considering your child's age, your location, and whether you prefer a state or independent school. Use Eduscope to compare 21 schools in Ashton-in-Makerfield by Ofsted ratings, exam results, and distance. Filter by school type, gender, religious character, and admissions policy to narrow your options.

Sources: DfE school performance tables, DfE school census and workforce, DfE pupil absence, Ofsted. Photos are stand-ins.

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