St James Church of England Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 20 January 2026

Pupils value their place in the welcoming and inclusive community at St James Church of England Primary School. They enjoy coming to school, feel safe and attend well. Pupils experience lessons that are purposeful and help to prepare them for their next steps. They engage positively with their learning in the classroom. This is enhanced further by teachers' enthusiasm about the subjects they teach and the ambitious and supportive environments they create. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) benefit from personalised support in mainstream classes and particularly in the 'PARC' specially resourced provision and the school's 'Ark' provision. They thrive as a result of the knowledge, enthusiasm and skill of staff. Pupils who speak English as an additional language, including those new to speaking English, are welcomed by staff and pupils alike. They develop their language skills and participate, as all pupil groups do, fully in the life of the school. Leaders ensure that any potential barriers to disadvantaged pupils' success or sense of belonging at the school are swiftly removed. Many pupils start their school day with bagels and friendly conversation with staff and their peers. As active contributors to the school community, pupils hold themselves accountable and behave well. Pupils treat one another with respect and form strong, positive relationships with staff. They enthuse about the wider opportunities that the school provides which are consistently of high quality. Pupils learn musical instruments, complete 'values passports' and take part in British Sign Language singing performances. They broaden their horizons during their time at the school as they learn about themselves and the world in which they live. The school's aspirational approach supports pupils to set the bar high for themselves, including through careers weeks and university experiences. Leaders ensure that pupils are not only exposed to these opportunities, but provided with an understanding of how to achieve their goals.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that the teaching of the curriculum is consistently high quality so that pupils consistently have the most meaningful opportunities to move their learning on. • Leaders should ensure that their evaluation and oversight of school performance is as insightful as possible so as to maximise the improvements to pupils' outcomes.

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