St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-Makerfield
Voluntary aided secondary school in Wigan (Wigan).
Location
iSchool location from Get Information about Schools. Nearby schools are coloured by phase. Open Map+ for a full-screen map with neighbourhood deprivation (England only).About
Having received a Catholic education in Wigan myself, I know how incredibly important this is to shaping your entire future. Our staff and governors are totally committed to providing an education rooted in Gospel values and our joint aim has always been to inspire every pupil to want to make the world a better place.
This aim sits above all others in defining an education for our pupils. Our Catholic faith is central to everything we do, and our pupils are asked to be living witnesses to that faith and develop the values that come with it.
We reveal who we are in the hundreds of mundane everyday interactions in our school community: opening doors for each other, being polite and courteous along the corridors, taking care of each other and offering help when needed.
Of course, good GCSE grades are vitally important, but equally so are the values we transmit to our pupils when we are helping them to attain those grades.
In the school’s own words, from the school website.
Enrichment
7 activitiesiFound on the school website by WhatSchool. Not verified by Governance Register; the school website is the authority.- Choir
- Dance
- Duke of Edinburgh
- Football
- Hockey
- Rugby
- Drama
Awards
1 awardiFound on the school website by WhatSchool. Not verified by Governance Register; the school website is the authority.- Duke of EdinburghPersonal development
Key facts
- URN
- 106540
- Type
- Voluntary aided school
- Phase
- Secondary
- Ages
- 11 to 16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Roman Catholic
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Sixth form
- Does not have a sixth form
- Nursery
- No Nursery Classes
- Local authority
- Wigan
- Constituency
- Makerfield
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Governing body (11 current, 1 former)
Maintained school governing body.
Leadership
| Name | Role | How appointed | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mr Stephen Westhead | Chair of Governors | Appointed by foundation/Trust | since 2012 · until 2028 |
Full governing body
| Name | Role | How appointed | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mrs Julia Kirwan | Governor | Elected by parents | since 2025 · until 2029 |
| Mrs Natalie Marie Lowe | Governor | Elected by parents | since 2025 · until 2029 |
| Mr Peter Whitfield | Governor | Foundation/sponsor members | since 2024 · until 2028 |
| Mr Andrew Connellan | Governor | Foundation/sponsor members | since 2024 · until 2028 |
| Miss Clare Brophy | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2023 · until 2027 ends 2027 |
| Mrs Joanne Farrimond | Governor | Appointed by foundation/Trust | since 2021 · until 2029 |
| Mr James Byrne | Governor | Appointed by foundation/Trust | since 2021 · until 2029 |
| Mr Peter McGhee | Governor | Appointed by foundation/Trust | since 2021 · until 2029 |
| Headteacher Mark Dumican | Governor | Ex-officio by virtue of office as headteacher/principal | since 2020 · until 2030 |
| Mr Paul Jensen | Governor | Appointed by LA | since 2018 · until 2026 ends 2026 |
| Mrs Lisa Jane Boardman Former | Governor | Elected by parents | since 2021 · term ended 2025 |
Source: Department for Education, Get Information about Schools (governance records, as at 25 October 2026). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Names are shown as published; there are no addresses or contact details. Current and former are worked out from term end dates when the page loads. Object or ask for removal · Report an issue with this record