Altham St James Church of England Primary School
Altham St James CE Primary School, Burnley Road, Altham, Accrington, BB5 5UHOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Altham St James Church of England Primary School is a primary school in Accrington for ages 4 to 11. It is one of the 692 schools in Lancashire. It ranks 6th of 25 primary schools in Accrington. Its latest Ofsted outcome is a report card, from an inspection in March 2026.
Ofsted report card
Inspected 10 March 2026, report published 10 May 2026
Each area is graded from urgent improvement to exceptional, and safeguarding is either met or not met.
- Inclusion
- Expected standard
- Curriculum and teaching
- Expected standard
- Achievement
- Expected standard
- Attendance and behaviour
- Strong standard
- Personal development and wellbeing
- Expected standard
- Leadership and governance
- Expected standard
- Early years
- Expected standard
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 10 March 2026
The school’s vision for children to be the ‘best they can be and believe they can make a difference’ inspires adults and pupils alike. Leaders have established a school culture that helps every pupil to succeed and belong to a family of learners that will support them. Leaders swiftly secure a deep knowledge of individual pupils and their families. Leaders take effective action to remove and reduce the barriers to learning that some pupils face. Pupils in this school relish their learning. They flourish with a high-quality range of activities that they find inspiring. Pupils behave very well. Staff implement a consistent set of expectations. Pupils consistently rise to these expectations. From the early years onwards, children quickly settle to new routines. By the time they leave Reception, children have secured habits for future success. Relationships between adults and pupils are highly positive. Pupils copy the adults around them in their relationships with each other. Bullying is almost non-existent. If it happens, leaders take swift action to make sure that it stops. Pupils want to attend their school. They rarely miss a day. Pupils know how much their education matters for their future aspirations. Leaders have implemented a carefully structured and ambitious curriculum. Pupils relish the challenge that this curriculum brings. It is taught well, and pupils enjoy their learning. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive effective support that helps them to succeed in their learning. Pupils benefit from a broad range of experiences. For example, many pupils learn to play a musical instrument. Some pupils take part in drama performances, while others learn to dance. Pupils are enthused by these opportunities, which inspire them to pursue new interests.
What the school should improve
- In a small number of subjects, leaders should identify the important knowledge that pupils need to acquire more clearly.
- Leaders should make sure that, in a small number of subjects, the important concepts that children need to understand are clearly defined so that staff can share these definitions consistently with pupils to help pupils' understanding.
- Leaders should ensure that the important records that they make about the school’s work are complete so that governors can check leaders' actions and hold them to account effectively.
Exam results
SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25
11 pupils took the tests
Pupil numbers and mix
84 pupils on roll, with places for 63
Schools near Altham St James Church of England Primary School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simonstone St Peter's Church of England Primary School | 1 mile | Ofsted: Good | 67% met the expected standard |
| Read St John's CofE Primary School | 1 mile | Ofsted: Good | 73% met the expected standard |
| Accrington Huncoat Primary School | 1 mile | Ofsted: Good | 56% met the expected standard |
| St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Clayton-le-Moors | 1 mile | Ofsted: Good | 64% met the expected standard |
| St John the Baptist Roman Catholic Primary School, Padiham | 2 miles | Ofsted: Good | 80% met the expected standard |
School details
- School type
- Voluntary aided school
- Sector
- Local authority maintained
- Age range
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Nursery classes
- No
- Headteacher
- Mrs Carol Woods
- Phone
- 01282772174
- Address
- Altham St James CE Primary School, Burnley Road, Altham, Accrington, BB5 5UH
- Local authority
- Lancashire
- URN
- 119577
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.