St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-MakerfieldThe Byrchall High School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Wigan.
Summary of the comparison
St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-Makerfield and The Byrchall High School are secondary schools in Wigan.
St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-Makerfield scores 66 out of 100 (grade C, average) and The Byrchall High School 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 The Byrchall High School was judged Good.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 50.4 for St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-Makerfield and 42.8 for The Byrchall High School.
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 fallen at The Byrchall High School (49.6 in 2021-22, 42.8 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | WiganSt Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-Makerfield | WiganThe Byrchall High School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | C66/100Stronger figure | D52/100 | |
| Local ranking | 1st of 19 in Wigan Stronger figure | 15th of 19 in Wigan | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: StrongStronger figure | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Voluntary aided school | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-16 | 11-16 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,204 | 1,138 | |
| Capacity | 1,250 | 1,216 | |
| Location | Wigan, WN4 9PF | Wigan, WN4 9PQ | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 50.4 Stronger figure | 42.8 | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 53.6% Stronger figure | 38.1% | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 75.5% Stronger figure | 57.4% | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 237 | 202 | |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,202 | 1,075 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 13.7% | 36.8% | |
| English as an additional language | 6.7% | 8.4% | |
| SEN support | 6.7% | 15.3% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 4.0% | 2.6% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 7.0% Stronger figure | 9.4% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 17.1% Stronger figure | 25.1% | 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
The Byrchall High School
Full profiles: St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-Makerfield · The Byrchall High School