St John Rigby College in Wigan proudly retained its Outstanding Ofsted rating, which was first achieved in 2017. In doing so, the college remains a beacon of educational excellence in the areas of Wigan, Leigh, and West Lancashire. This sustained excellence is something for which staff, students, and the community can be justifiably proud. 

Highlights from the report include recognition of the highly motivated students at St John Rigby College, an unwavering commitment to provide high quality education, and a culture built on kindness, mutual respect, and high expectations.

In fact, the section of the report entitled ‘What does the provider do well and what does it need to do better?’, does not state any areas where the college should improve.  This reinforces the sentiment from staff, students, and inspectors that St John Rigby College is most definitely an ‘Outstanding College’.

What does Ofsted say about St John Rigby College?

• “Students who study at St John Rigby do exceptionally well”
• Students are “highly motivated to achieve”
• “Students thoroughly enjoy coming to college where they feel part of a friendly and welcoming community”
• “Students with high needs feel staff really believe in them and help them to become the best version of themselves” 
• “Teachers help students to understand complex content expertly”
• “Leaders work with a wide range of employers and stakeholders who contribute effectively to meeting skills needs at the college”

Principal, Peter McGhee CBE, commented:

“I am delighted for our staff, students, and the communities that we serve, that St John Rigby College has once again been judged to be outstanding by Ofsted, just as it was in 2017.  The same judgement was reached in November 2023 by the Catholic Inspectorate, who were also extremely impressed by the culture of respect and the high standards of teaching that are part of the daily life at our college.

We are extremely proud of our unique and welcoming environment. I was so pleased that the team of seven inspectors experienced first-hand the respectful and inclusive nature of the college, and the way in which this motivates teachers to enjoy teaching and students to enjoy learning.

The high ambitions which we have for our students were recognised across all areas of the Ofsted report, including the quality of education, students’ personal development, and their exemplary behaviour and attitudes to learning.

The outcome of this inspection is testament to the relentless hard work and dedication of our exceptional staff and students. We have now been recognised as a beacon of educational excellence in this region over an extended period of time.  This has been achieved by doing everything we can to maintain our high standards and expectations whilst simultaneously providing the support needed by our students to enable them to excel in their studies. Our responsibility now is to continue our efforts and embrace the challenge of continuing to be outstanding in everything that we do.”