St James-the-Less Roman Catholic Primary School, Rawtenstall

Primary
Local authority maintained
Ages 5 to 11

Ofsted: Good

Unity Way, Rawtenstall, Rossendale, BB4 8SUOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

St James-the-Less Roman Catholic Primary School, Rawtenstall is a primary school in Rossendale for ages 5 to 11. It is one of the 692 schools in Lancashire. It ranks 4th of 13 primary schools in Rossendale. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in March 2013.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 6 March 2013, report published 28 March 2013

Overall effectiveness: Good
Leadership and management: Good

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

Exam results

SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25

32 pupils took the tests

Expected standard in reading, writing and maths81%

81%, 19 percentage points above the England average of 62%.

Higher standard in reading, writing and maths19%

19%, 11 percentage points above the England average of 8%.

Reading, average scaled score106

106, the same as the England average.

Maths, average scaled score107

107, 2 above the England average of 105.

Grammar, punctuation and spelling, average scaled score110

110, 5 above the England average of 105.

Pupil numbers and mix

211 pupils on roll, with places for 210

Eligible for free school meals11.4%

11.4%, 15.1 percentage points below the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language1.4%

1.4%, 20.2 percentage points below the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support9.5%

9.5%, 5.3 percentage points below the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan1.4%

1.4%, 4.6 percentage points below the England average of 6%.

Schools near St James-the-Less Roman Catholic Primary School, Rawtenstall

School	Distance	Ofsted	Results
St Mary's CofE Primary School Rawtenstall	0.1 miles	Ofsted: Good	50% met the expected standard
Rawtenstall St Paul's Church of England Primary School	0.4 miles	Ofsted: Good	44% met the expected standard
Rawtenstall Balladen Community Primary School	0.8 miles	Ofsted judgements: Requires improvement to good	32% met the expected standard
St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Haslingden	1 mile	Ofsted: Outstanding	71% met the expected standard
Haslingden Primary School	1 mile	Ofsted: Good	58% met the expected standard

School details

School type: Voluntary aided school
Sector: Local authority maintained
Age range: 5 to 11
Gender: Mixed
Religious character: Roman Catholic
Nursery classes: No
Headteacher: Mrs Jessica Bell-Shaw
Phone: 01706216190
Website: stjamesthelessschool.co.uk (opens in a new tab)
Address: Unity Way, Rawtenstall, Rossendale, BB4 8SU
Local authority: Lancashire
URN: 119665

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.