Cansfield High School
Old Road, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan, WN4 9TPOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Cansfield High School is a secondary school in Wigan for ages 11 to 16. It is one of the 136 schools in Wigan. It ranks 7th of 13 secondary schools in Wigan. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in June 2024.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 12 June 2024, report published 17 July 2024
- Overall effectiveness
- Good
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 12 June 2024
Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are proud to attend this school. The appreciate the caring and nurturing atmosphere. Staff know the pupils very well. This helps staff to provide the right level of support to pupils, including to those who attend the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND (specially resourced provision). Most pupils behave well. They have positive attitudes towards learning and to each other. Pupils enjoy making friends and they are respectful of their peers. They enthusiastically use their 'pal' leadership roles to help younger pupils to settle into school and make friends. The school has high expectations for pupils' achievement, including for those who attend the specially resourced provision. The improvements made to the design and delivery of curriculum means that most pupils achieve well. Pupils benefit from the wide range of worthwhile educational experiences that are on offer. For instance, older pupils enjoy choreographing dances for the younger pupils to learn at dance club. Furthermore, pupils enjoy building their resilience through outdoor adventure activities and developing their linguistic skills through international trips. These opportunities enrich pupils' learning and nurture their personal development.
What the school should improve
- Occasionally, teachers choose learning activities that do not allow pupils to cover subject content in sufficient depth. This means that some pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, do not learn as well as they could. The school should ensure that teachers improve how they design learning so that pupils can achieve as well as they should.
- The opportunities for pupils to learn about and celebrate different cultures and faiths is limited. This means that some pupils' understanding of life in modern Britain is not as secure as it could be. The school should improve how pupils learn about different cultures so that they have a deeper understanding of the differences between people in society.
Exam results
GCSE results (key stage 4), 2024/25
215 pupils in the year group
Pupil numbers and mix
974 pupils on roll, with places for 1,012
Schools near Cansfield High School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-Makerfield | 0.8 miles | Report card: Strong standard | Attainment 8: 49.1 |
| The Byrchall High School | 0.9 miles | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 41.3 |
| Hawkley Hall High School | 2 miles | Ofsted judgements: Good | Attainment 8: 40.4 |
| Outwood Academy Haydock | 2 miles | Ofsted judgements: Good | Attainment 8: 41.2 |
| Hope Academy | 2 miles | Ofsted judgements: Requires improvement to good | Attainment 8: 43.8 |
School details
- School type
- Community school
- Sector
- Local authority maintained
- Age range
- 11 to 16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Sixth form
- No
- Headteacher
- Mrs Nicola Daniels
- Phone
- 01942727391
- Address
- Old Road, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan, WN4 9TP
- Local authority
- Wigan
- URN
- 106521
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.