Sponsored
Need storage for your move? Try Safestore — the No.1 storage company for choice in the UK.
Use our free interactive tool to check whether any Wigan property falls within primary or secondary school catchment zones. Wigan is a large borough built around two main towns — Wigan and Leigh — plus a ring of substantial villages, so catchment geography here is more dispersed than in most metropolitan boroughs.
Free interactive map — enter any Wigan, Leigh, Standish or Ashton-in-Makerfield postcode and see exactly which catchment areas it falls within.
The borough has two distinct centres several miles apart. Families in Leigh, Atherton and Tyldesley generally look to a different set of secondary schools than those in Wigan, Standish and Orrell. Check which schools actually serve your address rather than assuming borough-wide availability.
Wigan Council is the admissions authority for community primary and secondary schools. After looked-after children, EHC-plan holders and siblings, places are normally allocated by straight-line distance from the home address to the school.
Wigan has a considerable number of academies and Roman Catholic voluntary-aided schools which set their own criteria. Because the borough is geographically spread, the nearest school is not always the one your address is prioritised for.
Wigan Council publishes annual admissions information including the furthest distance offered at each oversubscribed school. Search 'Wigan school admissions' on the Wigan Council website.
Click "Open Free Tool" above. No registration needed. Works in any browser on desktop or mobile.
Click "Add School" and search by school name or postcode. The tool locates it on the interactive map automatically.
Add the radius from the school's admissions data. You can enter distances in metres for precision.
Use "Check Address" to test any Wigan address. It will show you exactly how far inside or outside the catchment that property sits.
Our tool works for schools across Wigan and surrounding areas:
Wigan measures straight-line distance to the metre. Our tool matches that method.
See how Wigan and Leigh catchments have shifted year on year before committing to a property.
Plot up to 5 Wigan schools at once — useful across a borough with two separate centres.
Generate a shareable link for your estate agent or solicitor before exchange.
They fall under the same local authority, but in practice they function as separate school markets. Families in Leigh, Atherton and Tyldesley typically apply to a different set of secondaries than those in Wigan and Standish.
Schools serving Standish, Orrell and Shevington tend to attract the strongest demand relative to available places.
No. Wigan's state secondary schools are comprehensive and allocate places on published oversubscription criteria rather than an entrance test.
Search 'Wigan school admissions' on the Wigan Council website for the furthest distance offered at each oversubscribed school.
Our free tool works for all UK schools. We also have dedicated guides for other major cities:
Need storage for your move? Try Safestore — the No.1 storage company for choice in the UK.