St James the Great Church of England Primary School
Guildford Road, Colchester, CO1 2RAOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
St James the Great Church of England Primary School is a primary school in Colchester for ages 2 to 11. It is one of the 604 schools in Essex. It ranks 51st of 69 primary schools in Colchester. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in September 2019.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 18 September 2019, report published 9 October 2019
- Overall effectiveness
- Good
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years provision
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 14 January 2025
Pupils enjoy attending school. They learn well and often find the work interesting, listening attentively and joining in with activities. Children in the early years are particularly engaged and enthused. They have settled well into school. They understand and follow the routines, which make the environment calm and pleasant. Pupils experience multiple opportunities to develop their understanding of the world around them. These include visits to places of worship and events which celebrate different faiths. They learn about keeping safe when online, using bikes and how to prevent and stay safe from fire. Most pupils behave well, especially in structured times, such as when learning or moving between lessons. Pupils can be a little excitable in less-structured times, such as lunchtime and breaktime. This is because there is little for them to do and because expectations for the positive behaviours pupils could demonstrate are not well established. The school has high expectations for pupils' achievement. These are being realised through effective teaching and clear leadership. Pupils in school now are learning and achieving well.
What the school should improve
- Some support for pupils with SEND is not meeting their needs well enough. This leads to those pupils not learning as well as they ought to and to a small minority misbehaving. The school should ensure that the support in place for pupils with SEND consistently meets their needs.
- Aspects of writing are not taught as well as they should be. This means some pupils are taking longer to learn key writing skills then they should. The school should make sure pupils are taught to write well.
- The expectations adults have of pupils' behaviour are not always as high as they should be. This means some pupils sometimes behave in an overexcited way. The school should establish consistently high standards of behaviour.
Exam results
SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25
63 pupils took the tests
Pupil numbers and mix
438 pupils on roll, with places for 420
Schools near St James the Great Church of England Primary School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Thomas More's Catholic Primary School, Colchester | 0.2 miles | Ofsted: Outstanding | 93% met the expected standard |
| Willow Brook Primary School and Nursery | 0.7 miles | Ofsted: Good | 50% met the expected standard |
| St John's Green Primary School | 0.7 miles | Ofsted: Good | 61% met the expected standard |
| North Primary School and Nursery | 0.8 miles | Ofsted: Good | 47% met the expected standard |
| St. George's School | 0.9 miles | Ofsted: Good | 56% met the expected standard |
School details
- School type
- Academy sponsor led
- Sector
- Academy
- Trust
- THE DIOCESE OF CHELMSFORD VINE SCHOOLS TRUST
- Age range
- 2 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Nursery classes
- Yes
- Headteacher
- Lucy Turner
- Phone
- 01206865747
- Address
- Guildford Road, Colchester, CO1 2RA
- Local authority
- Essex
- URN
- 143516
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.