St James Church of England First School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 4 February 2025

St James is a friendly school in the heart of its community. Pupils flourish in its supportive atmosphere. They appreciate the kindness and warmth shown by staff. Pupils uphold the school's values of love, truth and hope in all they say and do. For example, they show 'love' by donating clothes to pupils in a school in South Sudan. The school strives to achieve high standards for every pupil. This is shown in the strong outcomes in the Year 1 phonics screening and Year 4 multiplication tables checks. Pupils also acquire knowledge and skills that extend beyond these academic subjects. Starting in the Reception Year, children follow the school's routines very well. Typically, learning flows without disruption because pupils choose to do what is right. They strive to earn points as part of the school's behaviour reward system. The school carefully considers the social and cultural experiences it provides for pupils. For instance, all pupils perform on stage, participate in sporting competitions and learn to play a musical instrument. The overwhelming majority of parents and carers praise the school's work. A typical comment from a parent was 'my children are inspired, happy and thriving'.

What the school should improve

• Some staff do not consistently rectify misconceptions in pupils' written work. As a result, some pupils continue to make the same errors in basic punctuation and letter formation. The trust should ensure that all staff follow its approach to teaching fundamental writing skills so that pupils develop their writing fluency and accuracy.
• A minority of subjects have recently been revised and are at an earlier stage of implementation. In these subjects, pupils' recall and depth of knowledge are less secure than in others. The trust should embed these subjects so that they have a positive impact on pupils' retention of knowledge over time.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)