Standing view · skills · Wigan
deteriorating, held with established confidence, formed on 31 August 2026 from movements in 2024/2025.
The share of Wigan pupils reaching grade 4 or above in GCSE English and maths fell to 60.3% in 2023/24, when entry to both subjects fell to 96.2% of the cohort. Entry then rose to 97% in 2024/25. Two of the three readings are unfavourable, and no attainment figure is published for the most recent year, so the improvement in the entry rate is the only favourable movement here.
A view is formed only where the evidence names a figure you can check. Each movement listed as a reason had to be large enough to matter and distinctive in at least one way — unusual against this area's own history, unusual against comparable areas, or sustained over several periods. A movement shared with peers counts for less, because it says something about the country rather than about Wigan. Where no figure supports a direction we hold no view rather than a hedged one.
| Measure | Period | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| GCSE grade 4+ in English and maths | 2023/2024 | deteriorating |
| Pupils entering English and maths GCSEs | 2023/2024 | deteriorating |
| Pupils entering English and maths GCSEs | 2024/2025 | improving |