St Michael's CofE Primary School, Howe Bridge

Voluntary aided school·Primary school Greater Manchester, Wigan·M46 0PA
Composite score
55.2
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#5,407
National rank
#715
In North West
#39
In Wigan
Top 37%
Nationally

Performance (KS2 SATs)

% meeting expected RWM
67%
% achieving higher RWM
10%
Reading average scaled score
105.0
National avg ≈ 105
Maths average scaled score
104.0
National avg ≈ 104
Reading progress
—
Maths progress
—

Ofsted judgements

Legacy framework · Read full report ↗

Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Safeguarding effective?
Yes
Early years provision
Good

Getting a place

Offered a place after putting it first
68%
38 first choices, 29 places
First choices per place
1.31
more first choices than places
Applications naming the school
84
any preference, for 29 places
Last place offered lived
0.26 mi
straight line, 2026 intake · 417 m
Applications from another council area
1%
First preferences per place, last five years▲ 0.38
00.511.5
1 per place
0.9020221.1320231.2720240.9320251.312026

Red dashed line = one first choice per place. How to read this

The cut-off distance is how far the last child offered a place lived, not a catchment boundary: it moves every year with the number of applicants. Published by the council in its 2026 allocation figures, and checked against that document before we show it.

Application figures: DfE, school level applications and offers (2026 intake).

School profile

Age range
4–11
Pupils on roll
210
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England

Pupil background

% FSM ever-6
17.6%
Typical primary: 21.5%
% EAL
2.9%
Typical primary: 9.6%

Special educational needs

% SEN support
11.4%
Typical primary: 14.3%
% with an EHC plan
5.7%
Typical primary: 3.0%

Attendance

Overall absence
5.4%
Typical primary: 5.3%
Persistently absent
10.7%
Typical primary: 13.3%

Staffing & funding

Pupils per teacher
23.3
Typical primary: 20.7
Spend per pupil
£5,761
Typical primary: £6,960

“Typical” = the median primary school in England. What this means

Nearby primary schools

Location

About St Michael's CofE Primary School, Howe Bridge

St Michael's CofE Primary School, Howe Bridge is a primary school in Greater Manchester, Wigan, classified by the DfE as a voluntary aided school with a Church of England religious character. Around 210 pupils aged 4 to 11 attend the school. The school holds a 'Good' judgement from Ofsted. In the most recent Key Stage 2 SATs, 67% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined — above the national average of 61%. That is down 10.0 percentage points in the proportion reaching the expected standard on the previous year. On our composite score, which combines the DfE attainment measures above, this places it in the top 37% of primary schools nationally.

Pupils achieved an average scaled score of 105 in reading and 104 in maths (national averages are about 105 and 104). 10% reached the higher standard across all three subjects (around 8% do so nationally). Competition for places is real here - 68% of first-choice applicants were offered a Reception place for September 2026 (38 first choices for 29 places). The council's own allocation figures show the last child offered a place for 2026 lived 0.26 miles away in a straight line — that distance is not a fixed catchment and moves each year. Overall pupil absence was 5.4%. There are about 23.3 pupils per teacher. Given the recent dip in results, it may be worth asking the school what is behind the change and what is being done in response. This overview is generated automatically from the latest published DfE performance tables and Ofsted data; figures are rounded, and you can check the originals via the official links above.

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