Official inspection reports and grades
Inspected 4 February 2025
School workforce census, 2025/26.
Ofsted’s survey of parents at this school
94%
of parents would recommend this school to another parent
80 responses up to 1 September 2025 · 58% response rate
My child is happy at this school.
95% agreeMy child feels safe at this school.
96% agreeThe school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.
91% agreeMy child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively.
48% agreeThe school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year.
96% agreeOfsted last inspected St James Church of England First School on 4 February 2025 and did not give an overall grade, as single-word grades ended in September 2024.
Apply through the council where you live by 15 January for a Reception place starting that September. Children start Reception in the September after their fourth birthday. You can usually list between 3 and 6 schools in order of preference, and offers are sent on 16 April, or the next working day. A place in its nursery class does not carry on into Reception, so you still need to apply. As a Church of England school it may also ask for a supplementary form, and its admissions policy says whether it does.
No. Distance only counts when St James Church of England First School has more applicants than places. Then its admission criteria, set by its academy trust, decide who is offered a place first. Children in care or adopted from care come first by law. Most schools put brothers and sisters of current pupils next, then distance or a catchment area. As a Church of England school, it can give priority to children on grounds of faith. How far away the last place went changes every year, depending on who applies.
St James Church of England First School had 138 pupils aged 2 to 9 at the latest school census. Its official capacity is 125. It is a mixed school.