Waiting Lists
If you have been refused a place at one of your preferred schools your child’s name will automatically be added to the waiting list for that school.
All admission authorities must:
- Put all children who haven refused a place on the waiting list for the school
- Keep the list in oversubscription criteria order
- Offer any places that become available to the next child on the waiting list; and
- Maintain the waiting list until 31 December 2025.
The waiting list must be kept in the order of the oversubscription criteria for the school. This is a legal requirement. Admission authorities cannot take into account the date the application was received, or the length of time a child’s name has been on the waiting list. This means that both on time and late applications are treated the same for waiting list purposes.
Your child’s position on the waiting list may change if another applicant is refused a place and their application ranked higher in the school’s over subscription criteria, so it’s possible for your child to move up and down the list.
Please note: Your child’s name can only be placed on the waiting list for schools you have named as preferences and have been refused a place. If you child’s name is already on 3 waiting lists and you wish to put them on the waiting list for another school, you need to decide which of your original preference you want to change.
Waiting lists for community, foundation, academies and free schools.
The Local Authority maintains waiting lists for all Wigan community secondary schools and the following Wigan foundation, free and academy schools:
- Atherton High School
- Dean Trust Wigan
- Dean Trust Rose Bridge
- Fred Longworth High School
- Golborne High School
- Hawkley Hall High School
- Lowton Church of England High School
- Outwood Academy, Hindley
- Standish High School
- The Byrchall High School
- The Westleigh School.
Waiting lists for voluntary aided schools
- St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School
- St John Fisher Catholic High School
- St Mary’s Catholic High School
- St Peter’s Catholic High School
- The Deanery Church of England High School
Each voluntary aided school includes details of their waiting list policy in their admission arrangements. The governing body of the school will maintain the waiting list. If you are refused a place at a voluntary aided school, please contact the school to confirm that your child’s name is on the waiting list.
Offering a place to the waiting list
If a place becomes available at an oversubscribed school and your child’s name is at the top of the waiting list we will contact you to ask if you want to accept the place. We will do this by telephone if possible. We will send you a letter or email to confirm the new offer.
If you accept a place from a waiting list we will withdraw any place we have already offered and make is available for another child.
How to appeal
You can appeal to an independent appeal panel against the decision not to offer your child a place at any school your application has been refused. Below are details of how to submit an appeal.
Appeals for Community, Voluntary Controlled, Foundation and Academies
If you want to appeal you must:
Submit your appeal by the deadline date of 31 March 2025.
You should receive an acknowledgement of your appeal within 5 school days of submitting it. If you do not receive an acknowledgement, please inform the School Organisation Team by email to schoolappeals@wigan.gov.uk.
Appeal for Voluntary Aided Schools (Church)
The Deanery Church of England High School
If you want to appeal you must:
If you complete paper appeal form, please return your form to the Chair of Governors at the school’s address.
Submit your appeal by the deadline date of 31 March 2025.
Once your appeal has been received the School Organisation Team will forward your appeal onto the school who may send an acknowledgement to you. If you do not receive an acknowledgement, please contact the school.
Catholic Schools in the Liverpool Archdiocese
Liverpool Catholic Archdiocese organises appeals for Catholic Schools in Wigan that are in the archdiocese. You can request an appeal form online (external link).
Or contact
The Archdiocese of Liverpool,
Education Department,
Liverpool Archdiocesan Office,
Croxteth Drive,
Sefton Park,
Liverpool,
L17 1AA
If you have any questions about the appeal hearing, you can contact the Liverpool Archdiocese Schools Department on 0151 522 1071.