St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell Catchment Area
St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell is a voluntary aided primary school in Wigan , serving pupils aged 4-11, with 371 pupils, and a capacity of 405 places. The school is operating close to capacity, and catchment area boundaries apply when the school is oversubscribed.
4-11
Age range
371
Pupils
405
Capacity
92%
Fill rate
Good
Ofsted 2012
St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell Catchment Area Information
What is the catchment area for St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell?
The catchment area for St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell is the geographic zone Wigan uses to prioritise admissions when this primary school receives more applications than it has places. Children living inside the boundary are ranked higher under the oversubscription criteria, after looked-after children and, in most years, faith-based criteria. Wigan publishes the exact boundary and the last distance offered before each admissions cycle, and the boundary can change year to year.
Admission to St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell is managed by Wigan and typically includes both faith criteria and catchment area proximity. The weighting given to each criterion depends on the school's published oversubscription policy, which is reviewed annually.
Get an alert if St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell goes oversubscribed for 2027 →
The official admissions policy, including the catchment boundary map, is published by Wigan before each admissions cycle. Always verify your address with the council before submitting an application, as boundaries can change year to year.
Find Wigan catchment area documents →St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell: 405 places, 92% filled: nearing capacity
St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell has a published admission number of 405 places. 371 pupils were enrolled in the most recent data, giving a fill rate of 92%. The school is operating close to its limit. In years where applications exceed 405, Wigan's admissions team applies distance-based tiebreakers. Families within the school's historical catchment boundary are well placed, but a boundary check with the council is recommended before applying.
The fill-rate figure above reflects overall demand, but the school's intake also varies by community profile. 10.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, below the national average. The school draws primarily from a lower-deprivation part of Wigan.
To check whether your home address falls within the historical catchment boundary, use the postcode search tool on this site.
Wigan publishes its full admissions policy, including oversubscription criteria, the previous year's last-distance figures, and the appeals timetable, on the council's official admissions page. Find Wigan school admissions →
St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell: School Information
- Full address
- St James Road, Orrell, Wigan, WN5 7AA
- Local authority
- Wigan
- School type
- Voluntary aided school
- Phase of education
- Primary
- Age range
- 4-11 years
- Religious character
- Roman Catholic
- Free school meals
- 10.8% of pupils
- DfE URN
- 106492
Other Primary Schools in Wigan
If St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell is oversubscribed, these primary schools in Wigan are the next closest alternatives.
Garswood Primary and Nursery School Catchment Area
Community school · WN4 0SF
Rectory CofE Primary School Catchment Area
Voluntary aided school · WN4 0QF
St Aidan's CofE Primary School Billinge Catchment Area
Voluntary aided school · WN5 7LS
Beech Hill Community Primary School Catchment Area
Community school · WN6 7PT
Woodfield Primary School Catchment Area
Community school · WN1 2NT
Marsh Green Primary School Catchment Area
Community school · WN5 0EF
Other Roman Catholic Schools in Wigan
St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell shares its religious character with these Roman Catholic schools across Wigan. Faith criteria typically sit alongside catchment distance in each school's admissions policy.
St Mary and St John Catholic Primary School Catchment Area
Voluntary aided school · Wigan
St Patrick's Catholic Primary School Catchment Area
Voluntary aided school · Wigan
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Catchment Area
Voluntary aided school · WIGAN
St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Wigan Catchment Area
Voluntary aided school · Wigan
Nearest primary schools by distance
These are the primary schools closest to St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell by straight-line distance, including ones across a town or council boundary. Distance is not the same as being in catchment: always check each school's own admissions policy for its actual boundary.
Need help understanding catchment areas?
Frequently Asked Questions: St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell
What is the catchment area for St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell? ▾
The catchment area for St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell is the geographic zone Wigan uses to prioritise admissions when this primary school receives more applications than it has places. Children living inside the boundary are ranked higher under the oversubscription criteria, after looked-after children and, in most years, faith-based criteria. Wigan publishes the exact boundary and the last distance offered before each admissions cycle, and the boundary can change year to year.
Is St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell oversubscribed? ▾
St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell is operating close to its capacity of 405 places (92% full). Catchment boundaries are likely to apply when the school is oversubscribed at the next intake.
What is the admissions policy for St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell? ▾
St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell uses both faith criteria and catchment area proximity in its admissions policy. The weighting is reviewed annually and published by Wigan before each admissions cycle.
What age range does St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell cover? ▾
St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell is a primary school in Wigan, serving pupils aged 4-11. For the latest information, visit the school's website or the DfE Get Information About Schools service.
What is the Ofsted rating for St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell? ▾
St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell was rated Good by Ofsted in 2012. Full inspection reports are available at reports.ofsted.gov.uk.