St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-MakerfieldHope Academy
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side.
Summary of the comparison
St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-Makerfield and Hope Academy are secondary schools.
St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-Makerfield scores 66 out of 100 (grade C, average) and Hope Academy scores 52 out of 100 (grade D, below average). St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-Makerfield is ahead on our composite score.
St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-Makerfield was judged strong and Hope Academy was judged the expected standard.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 50.4 for St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-Makerfield and 43.9 for Hope Academy.
GCSE Attainment 8 has held broadly level at St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-Makerfield (52.2 in 2021-22, 50.4 in 2025-26) and has held broadly level at Hope Academy (44.3 in 2021-22, 43.9 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | WiganSt Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-Makerfield | Newton-le-WillowsHope Academy | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | C66/100Stronger figure | D52/100 | |
| Local ranking | 1st of 19 in Wigan | 6th of 8 in St Helens | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: StrongStronger figure | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Voluntary aided school | Academy sponsor led | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-16 | 11-16 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,204 | 1,235 | |
| Capacity | 1,250 | 1,350 | |
| Location | Wigan, WN4 9PF | Newton-le-Willows, WA12 0AQ | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 50.4 Stronger figure | 43.9 | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 53.6% Stronger figure | 39.5% | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 75.5% Stronger figure | 56.0% | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 237 | 243 | |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,202 | 1,288 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 13.7% | 28.8% | |
| English as an additional language | 6.7% | 5.0% | |
| SEN support | 6.7% | 18.9% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 4.0% | 3.6% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 7.0% Stronger figure | 9.2% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 17.1% Stronger figure | 23.2% | 15.8% |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
GCSE Attainment 8
GCSE Progress 8
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Ethnicity over time
One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.
St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-Makerfield
Hope Academy
Full profiles: St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-Makerfield · Hope Academy